I Love you, Don't Touch Me!
by Bunny-chan19
Summary: July 2009 - UPDATED! I'm going to finish this story! I swear! Chapter 11: Hermione starts to piece together what's affecting her, and certain other students, and confides in Harry. Ron receives a very interesting letter from a certain girl.
1. Default Chapter

Hi all! This is my first Harry Potter fic, so please be kind! This story takes place in the Trio's 7th and final year at HSoWaW.  
  
Please R&R. Fellow writers know what feedback is to authors. It's not our life force but...wait, it is. Shoot. Help me out here? ^^;  
  
Not much action in this chapter, but it is the first one of the story and everyone knows that the fic has to start somewhere. Ok, enough excuses. Don't forget to R&R!  
  
***OotP SPOILERS*** Not much, but enough. You have been warned.  
  
I Love You, Don't Touch Me!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
PG-13 (maybe higher)  
  
A tall, somewhat gangly, boy lay on the grass in the backyard of 4 Privet Dr. one Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining brightly, warming the back of his flannel shirt, and making his dark hair almost too hot to touch. He lay on his stomach, with his arms folded to make a pillow for his head, and his eyes were closed. A bird chirped in a tree near by, and the sky was such a rich shade of blue that the oceans themselves would have been put to shame. There was a light breeze, enough to make the day a pleasant one, if the peacefulness of the afternoon hadn't been about to be spoiled.  
  
"HARRY!!!!! Where is that boy?!" Came a loud voice. The shout rumbled off the walls of the house, and might have caused the gate to the back lane to rattle, although that may have just been the wind picking up.  
  
Harry Potter lay still for a moment, not wanting the solitude he had managed to find for a few moments that day to end so soon. At the second roar, however, he opened his eyes and got to his feet. He could hear his beefy uncle stomping around the house shouting for him to get downstairs and into the living room by the time he counted to three or there would be no supper, Harry glanced at his watch and noticed that it was nearly half past five, let alone any other form of nourishment, for a week.  
  
The young teenager walked quickly to the back door and let himself inside. Threats such as these weren't uncommon, and they had ceased to scare him; much. However, what the Dursly's called 'food', at least what they called the things they allowed Harry to eat, wasn't anything that the young Potter would miss much. He ate about as well as the average alley cat, and was treated worse. Therefore, when he arrived at school, that is, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, each Fall, he ate like there was no tomorrow of the food offered, often causing his friend Hermione to give him odd looks and motherly comments about overeating. Well, at least Ron ate that way too, and he was well fed at his home. Well, at least when he managed to beat his two (sometimes 5 depending on which were home at the time) brothers and one sister to the table in time to actually get anything.  
  
Uncle Vernon was standing near the front door, his wife, Harry's Aunt Petunia, and son, Harry's cousin Dudly, who was rather the size of a small killer wale but answered to names like 'Dudly-diddyums' and 'Precious' from his stick-like, meticulously neat, mother, were putting on their shoes. He stood in the doorway from the kitchen and leveled a cool stare at his Uncle. If they were going out that was all the better for him.  
  
"There you are boy! What took you so long?" Vernon demanded his face, and the small amount of neck that managed to squeeze its way out from the top of his pressed white dress shirt, a marvelous shade of red.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, I was in the backyard." Harry answered politely, although his first reaction had been to roll his eyes at his Uncle and then turn on heel and go back outside.  
  
"Don't use that tone with me young man! We took you in out of the kindness of our hearts, even though we knew that it would be tough to raise two boys at once." Vernon's face turned a slightly deeper shade of pink, if that was at all possible and he took a few steps toward his nephew.  
  
Harry again resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his Uncle. Raise two boys? More like raise one boy, and pretend that the other doesn't exist. He waited patiently for his Uncle to continue speaking as arguing anything against him would be useless.  
  
"We're going out for dinner with a colleague of mine, and expect to be out until at least 8pm. If I return to find a single thing out of place from the way that your Aunt left it, there will be hell to pay! Do I make myself clear, boy?"  
  
Harry nodded silently, then, at his Uncle's glare, mumbled, "Yes Sir. I won't touch a thing." and watched as his relatives swept out the front door to their equally neat Station Wagon.  
  
Harry watched as they pulled out of the drive and then drove off down the street, waiting until they had turned the corner onto the next street, then hurried back to the front door, and turned the latch, locking it. Sighing deeply, the raven haired teen walked slowly up the stairs to his room. Hedwig was cooing softly in her cage in the corner. Harry crossed the room and pulled up the towel that he had draped over the gold birdcage to keep his pet quiet when his Aunt and Uncle were home. Hedwig perked up immediately, when she saw his face, and let out a slight squawk. Harry laughed.  
  
"Sorry for making you wait girl, they're gone now."  
  
And with that he pulled a small gold key from a string around his neck, kept there to prevent his cousin from being able to open the cage and torment his beloved pet, and clicked the lock open. Hedwig climbed out of her cage with a minimum of fuss, perching herself on her master's arm, and allowed Harry to carry her across the room to the half open window. Harry set the snowy white owl down on the window ledge, watching the sun as it began it's decent into the trees. Night would be upon them soon, and Harry was glad; Hedwig hadn't been able to stretch her wings in almost 4 days. As he waited, he let his eyes roam around his room.  
  
The room was a decent size for a 17 year old boy, a single bed with faded quilt and two half full feather pillows on it stood against the wall, tucked in a corner near the window. A dresser stood opposite the window wall, on the side with the door and it's rusty hinges which prevented Harry, on most occasions, from sneaking down to the kitchen for a real meal after his Aunt, and especially his Uncle, where asleep for the night. At the foot of his bed was his battered Hogwarts trunk, locked securely to keep all of his school books and his Fire Bolt safe.  
  
His Uncle had allowed him to keep the trunk in his room as long as he didn't try any of that 'funny magic business' in the house. This was, of course, because of the 'strong suggestion' that he and wife be nice to Harry from a few prominent members of the Order back in Harry's fifth year. And, when anyone was watching, the Dursly's were as good as their word (which isn't saying much), but, like today, when there was no one to see, they treated Harry about as kindly as a detested vermin.  
  
Vermin...Vernon...hmmmm. Making the connection in his mind, Harry laughed softly to himself. Yes, his Uncle was rather rat-like in looks. Watery eyes, pointed nose, red face...Harry sometimes wondered if his Uncle wasn't related to Peter Pettigrew in some way.  
  
His eyes fell then on his writing desk. The desk was opposite his bed, next to the small table on which Hedwig's cage was nestled. Harry crossed the room and sat down. He hadn't written to either Ron or Hermione in weeks. There simply hadn't been an opportunity to get Hedwig out of the house with a letter. Sitting down, he opened a drawer, pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and began to write.  
  
Dear Ron,  
  
I'm sorry for not writing sooner mate, summer has been hectic. My Uncle and Aunt have taken Dudly out to dinner with a man that my Uncle works with just now. I can finally let Hedwig out again. I fear that she's getting a little annoyed with me for not letting her stretch her wings again.  
  
Hedwig affectionately nipped one of Harry's knuckles and he nearly dropped his quill. The snowy owl cocked her head to the left and blinked at him, giving her master a soft cooing sound to let him know that she didn't hold him responsible. Harry smiled and continued his letter.  
  
It's my birthday in a week, I just thought I'd let you know I expect a highly extravagant gift from you. (Just kidding!) I can't wait for the summer to be over. I'm counting the days until I'll be back on the train and heading back to Hogwarts with you and the others. Tell Fred and George that I'm thinking of buying a few of their new tricks. I want surprise our favorite Slytherian this year....you will help me right? Nothing else to write. Maybe you could try to call me sometime? I'd phone you, but I'm pretty sure that your Dad would have a heart attack if his muggle phone actually rang.  
  
Your Friend,  
Harry  
  
Harry was, of course, referring to Author Weasly's antique phone that looked like it came out of the 1890's. He had spent his last vacation at the Weasly's explaining how the device worked, much to Molly's distain. Why would her husband want to use that troublesome machine when he could just floo or aparrate to whomever he wished to speak with? Harry laughed to himself as he rolled up the scroll, tied a blue ribbon around it, sealed it with navy wax, and pressed his personal seal (A circle of flames with a capital cursive "H" in the middle of it, a jagged lightening bolt as the line in the middle of the "H") into it before it dried. Pulling out another piece of parchment he began a similar letter to Hermione.  
  
Dear Hermione,  
  
How's your summer going? Mine hasn't been too bad. The Dursly's are spending more and more time out of the house. That's fine with me. I like to spend time alone. At least, it does beat actually hanging out with them, treading on eggshells, so to speak. I just wanted to let you know that I'm glad I can talk to you this way. Ron wouldn't understand half the muggle terms I use so commonly.  
  
He paused. He wasn't being as honest about his home life with his other best friend. I didn't want her to worry though...that was all. Hermione had different values than Ron did. Ron would want to get even. Hermione would want to go to the police if she knew what was really going on at the Dursly's. Vernon and Petunia brought a whole new meaning to the term 'neglect'. Harry sighed and continued.  
  
Anyways, my birthday is in just under a week (well, a week if you include today). What are you getting me? (Just kidding) Although, some decent food would be nice. I can't wait to get back to school. Well...I can wait to do all the homework that 7th year is going to bring. I know that that's the part you're looking forward to most though. (Joking!) See you on the train in a couple of weeks!  
  
Yours Always,  
Harry  
  
He rolled the parchment then tied and sealed it the same way he had done Ron's. The sun had set completely now and Harry could see that Hedwig was getting a anxious to get outside. He quickly tied the two letters to her feet, one on each leg, then pushed the window open all the way.  
  
"Take these to Ron ad Hermione, Hedwig, and take a nice long break out there while you're at it. You deserve it."  
  
Hedwig hooted twice, then hopped up to the edge of the window ledge and jumped off, spreading her expansive wings as she did so. Harry watched as his owl soared up into the night air, circled over the yard once, then disappeared over the trees.  
  
He sighed, envious. She was so free.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Harry woke up on the morning of his birthday and yawned loudly. A glance at his watch (a gift from the Weasly's of course, the Dursly's would never have given him anything that nice) told him that it was 6:53AM. He sighed and rolled over, but it was no use, he couldn't go back to sleep. There was a tapping sound in his ear, and it took the sleepy teen a few moments to register it and then a few moments more to figure out where it was coming from.  
  
Outside the second story window Hedwig was pecking at the window, her glossy feathers dripping with droplets of water from the end of an evening storm. Harry jumped out of bed and hurried to the window, yanking it open. Hedwig hopped inside with an indignant hoot at her master, as if chiding him for being so slow at that time of day. After all, it was light out, wasn't his kind supposed to be up by now?  
  
"Sorry girl. But really, it's barely morning...can't you tell? The sun is just 'thinking' about getting up..." but he trailed off there, knowing that it really was pointless to try and talk to his bird like that.  
  
Harry pulled the towel off the birdcage and quickly dried his pet off. It was then that he noticed the two small packages tied to her legs. He quickly removed them and Hedwig flew across the room and into her cage, with much ruffling of her long white feathers, to take a long drink from her water dish.  
  
Harry sat on his bed and examined the packages. The first one, rather battered looking, and with his name and address scrawled on the front in messy printing was obviously from the Weaslys. He eagerly tore off the brown paper and opened the small white box. Inside were several things:  
  
A wrapped packaged of fudge from Mrs. Weasly, a plug tied with a red bow and a tag hanging off it saying 'It's one of my best, my boy. I have two, so I thought you would like to have one.' That was from Mr. Weasly. Harry cracked a smile at this gift. Author was slightly fanatic about muggle things and for him to give Harry a present like this was a compliment.  
  
The next gift was from Ron. A quill and ink. Nothing special, but practical. That was it. Nothing from the Twins, but Harry wasn't surprised. He was friends with the troublesome Weasly boys, but they were busy with their joke shop these days and probably didn't have time to get him anything.  
  
The next package as wrapped neatly in white paper, his name and address was written in neat handwriting in purple ink. This one was from Hermione. Harry stared at the box for a moment, somehow not wanting to destroy the neat, yet plain, box. In a life that was full of disorder, the box was a reminder of simple things. A reminder of a life not controlled by insane relatives or equally crazy evil wizards. Slowly he slit open the paper at the sides and slid out the box inside. When he lifted the lid his mouth dropped open. There was nothing but a simple card inside, but what was inside the card was what had caused him to start so.  
  
There was a simple note from Hermione telling him to hang in there until the September, and that she knew life was hard but she knew he was strong enough to take it. She also reminded him that after this year he was legally allowed to remain in the wizarding world. He wouldn't have to return to his awful Aunt and Uncle's place. Harry sighed happily. He had forgotten about that! He was 18 that summer! This was the time that he noticed the smaller, credit-card sized card which had fallen onto his lap. He picked it up and inspected it.  
  
Dear Sir or Madam,  
  
This card entitles you to one robe of your choice at GladRags. It may be redeemed at any time. Thank-you for shopping the Wizarding World's finest Clothing Store.  
  
"Harry Potter" was written neatly alone the dotted line at the bottom of the card and in the center of the card, between the short message and the greeting, was a picture of wizard modeling a new cloak of deep blue. Of course the picture was moving, as all photographs did in the magic realm.  
  
Harry was shocked. This was the nicest gift anyone had ever given him. It wasn't that he needed charity, though. In the wizarding world he was rather well off, considering the fortune his late parents had left him, but it was the thought that counted. At first he wondered how Hermione had obtained the gift certificate, but the short "P.S." note at the end of her card explained that she had written to Fred and George and asked them to get it for her.  
  
Harry lay back on his bead and smiled at the ceiling. Even if his living relatives didn't care about his special day, his friends did, and that was enough for him.  
  
R & R! Part Two coming soon! I hope you all like it! More action to follow! ^_^  
  
P.S. I can't figure out how to make my 'bold' and 'italic' lettering stay that way after my document is uploaded to ff.net. So if anyone could help me out here I would really appreciate it! THANKS!!!  
  
E-mail the author at: angels_melody19 @ hotmail.com (remove the spaces) 


	2. You got BIG!

The end of summer comes much faster than most kids like; however, September the first arrived none too quickly for a certain lightning scarred teen that year. Harry's birthday had been the only good part of the summer, aside from his endless days spent outside, alone in the sun. But even that can make a person lonely after while. This was why Harry was particularly happy when the daily rants of 'Where is that boy?!' began to sound from the floor below him.  
  
Hopping out of bed, Harry dressed in a pair of plain, dark green khakis, a white t-shirt and a fitted blue zip-up sweater with two white vertical stripes down each sleeve from the shoulder to the cuff. The sweater had been a gift from Mrs. Figg for his birthday. The Dursleys had been somewhat grumpy about it, but Mrs. Figg had passed it off as a reject of one of her own grandchildren and the Dursleys had been satisfied that their nephew hadn't received anything out of the kindness of someone's heart. Of course Harry had been careful to keep his gifts from his magical friends hidden in his trunk.  
  
He gave his hair one last swipe with his comb then gave up; it would never listen to him. Then he picked up one of the rings on his trunk and dragged it across the floor and out the door to the top of the stairs. Petunia was waiting for him at the bottom.  
  
"Hurry it up child, and don't scratch up my floor with that beastly old trunk of yours! If you want any breakfast, you're going to have to cook it yourself. You're late this morning, and your uncle and Dudley have given up waiting for you." With that, she swept back into the kitchen.  
  
Harry lugged his battered trunk down the stairs and set it by the front door. Walking to the kitchen he could hear Dudley whining about not getting enough bacon and he knew that Vernon and Dudley hadn't waited a moment for him. They didn't care if he didn't get anything to eat. While Petunia was a little bit concerned if Harry was practically starved, she hid it well. When pressed she pled the cause of not wanting to raise a stir with the neighbors if anyone were to find out that they were keeping such a strange boy in their profoundly normal household. Harry was grateful that she saw he got something to eat every now and then, but was sure that the only thing she cared about was having to explain a dead body if it ever came to that.  
  
He entered the kitchen and made a piece of toast, careful to avoid looking Dudley in the eye. His cousin was about as generous with his own food as a ravenous wolf; Harry was sure that if he made eye-contact his cousin would spring on him and rip his toast from his hand while it was still hot.  
  
Vernon rustled his paper and cleared his throat, addressing his nephew.  
  
"Ahem...so boy, today's the day you go back to that school of yours, is that right?"  
  
Harry turned slowly from the counter to face the newspaper shielding his uncle.  
  
"Yes. I have to be at Kings Cross by ten-thirty this morning."  
  
The paper rustled and Vernon spoke again.  
  
"What time is it boy?"  
  
Harry checked his watch. "Seven twenty-five, Sir."  
  
"Well then, let's get going!" Vernon said suddenly, putting down his paper, draining his coffee mug, and standing up. Harry looked from his uncle to his toast. He had only taken one bite out of the strawberry-jam- covered piece of bread.  
  
"But I haven't even finished breakfast!" he protested, although he knew it was in vain.  
  
Vernon gave him a warning look. "Eat on the way boy; you don't want to be late now do you?" With that he stomped from the room: not stomping because he was angry (although he was annoyed at having his nephew talk back to him), but more from the fact that his great weight caused the table to shake with the strength of his footfalls.  
  
Harry gulped down a glass of orange juice then hurried out the kitchen after Vernon. After running back upstairs to collect Hedwig and her cage he crashed back down to the main floor and through the front hall. The front door was already open and Vernon was heaving Harry's trunk into the backseat of the car. Harry climbed in after it and shut the door. His Uncle started the engine and they began the drive to the train station in silence.  
  
It wasn't that Harry was really annoyed at being hustled out of the house over three hours before he was supposed to be at the station; rather, he was just relieved that his uncle was still willing, and had remembered, to drive him there. Not that Harry believed that that would ever happen, the forgetting part, that is. The day that Harry went off to his 'school' was as much of a holiday for the Dursleys as Christmas. Harry wouldn't be surprised if they went out to dinner that night and then bought Dudley a new video game, or something equally nice, for the occasion.  
  
*******  
  
Vernon dragged the heavy trunk out of the back seat twenty minutes later and deposited it on the concrete flagstones in front of W. H. Smith's at the front of King's Cross. Harry got out and stood beside it, waiting to see if his Uncle had any parting words for him.  
  
"Well boy, you'll be staying for the Christmas Holidays again this year, won't you?"  
  
Harry nodded and Vernon gave a relieved sigh. Anything that kept his strange nephew away from his home was good enough for him.  
  
"Well then, you know when your train comes?"  
  
Another nod.  
  
"Good. I'll...be going then." With that, Vernon climbed back into his station wagon, slammed the door, and roared back down the street leaving Harry standing alone.  
  
The sun was just beginning to rise, as Harry sighed, turned, and began to drag his trunk up the steps. Once inside, he made his way to a bench near platforms nine and ten and sat down to wait. He wished he had a book to read or something.  
  
Harry got an idea then, and he took a good look around the station's inner rooms. There were a few men bustling about the trains, checking to make sure everything was in working order, and the Station Master was busy writing in that day's schedule in a far corner, so Harry quietly opened his trunk and pulled out his wand. He slipped it up the left arm of his light sweater then took out his parent's photo album. He was careful to make sure that no one was around to see what was inside before slowly opening it.  
  
His parents waved up at him, smiling brightly. A smaller, childish likeness of himself gurgled silently in his mother's arms. Harry felt a real smile pass his lips and he settled back against a stone pillar to flip through the pages, letting the memories of the past wash over him. Looking at his photos always made him happy; they were the only thing in the world, aside from Hogwarts, that could make Harry remember a time when he had been carefree...and loved.  
  
*****  
  
"Harry James Potter!" A voice suddenly sliced through the air.  
  
Harry sat up with a start. His photo album was lying face down on his chest and his vision was blurry. He blinked and sat up. There was painful crick in his neck and Harry realized then that he had fallen asleep on the bench. He closed the book and rubbed his eyes. Replacing his glasses Harry glanced at Hedwig who cocked her head at him in annoyance as if to say, "No, fool, it's not your bird speaking."  
  
"Harry!" came the voice again. Harry turned the other way to find Ron almost upon him now.  
  
"Ron!" Harry cried joyfully, extremely happy to see his best friend once again. The two made as if to hug, then pulled back at the last second.  
  
"Er...good to see you again, mate." Ron said with a grin, somewhat sheepishly. Harry grinned back and clapped his friend on the shoulder. The understanding that flashed through the two friend's eyes was mutual. They would leave the hugging to the girls; they were 'manly' men.  
  
"When did you get here?" Ron asked as he picked up one side of Harry's trunk and helped him to load it onto a cart.  
  
"Around eight, maybe a little before." Harry replied as he set Hedwig's cage on top of his trunk. Ron gave him a look.  
  
"Uncle Prat couldn't wait to get rid of you, eh?"  
  
Harry laughed, now completely at ease with his friend, as they approached the Weasleys. They were as much Harry's family as Ron's, and he could now smile about being dumped at the station hours before he needed to be there.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Not that I wasn't eager myself to be rid of them!" Harry agreed.  
  
"Harry, love, come here and let me take a look at you!" Molly Weasley sang out, stepping forward to pull Harry into a hug. Harry gasped a little as he fought for a breath in the plump Weasley mother's embrace.  
  
"G-good to...see you too!" he managed to gasp before she released him.  
  
"Did you get our birthday package, Harry?" Arthur asked anxiously.  
  
Harry smiled. "Yes, I did. Thank you for the plug, Mr. Weasley; I keep it on my desk."  
  
Arthur beamed with pride while Molly rolled her eyes. Harry smiled at a private thought that had just surfaced with the reminder of Arthur's 'gift'. It was the only gift that the Dursleys wouldn't attempt to 'accidentally' throw out, should they see it. After all, what good is a plug when it's not attached to anything?  
  
"Thanks for the fudge Mrs. Weasley, and for the quill and ink, Ron." Harry added, turning to the rest of the family. Ron grinned and waggled his eyebrows. His mother had thought that he had finally bought his friend a sensible gift for his birthday. She didn't know what her youngest son had really gotten him.  
  
"So where're the twins and Ginny?" Harry asked, looking around at the deceptively small part of the Weasley clan. Anyone passing by might think that Ron was an only child, though that was farthest from the truth.  
  
"Fred and George couldn't come to see me off; they had to get back to their shop, but they do send you their fondest regards and hope that you enjoy your present." Ignoring Harry's confused look, as there had been a considerable lack of joke gifts in his package from the Twins, Ron hurried on, "Ginny went on ahead; she said she was going to meet her friends. She left about ten minutes ago. We noticed you in the corner and Mum thought you were asleep, which you were, so it's a good thing we came to wake you because we have about six minutes to make the train ourselves!"  
  
Harry started."Six minutes!? Let's go!" Harry cried, casting a relieved look at Mrs. Weasley. "Thanks for getting me up! All I need is a FULL year with the Dursleys!"  
  
Molly smiled warmly at him then pulled Ron into a hug.  
  
"Be good, dear."  
  
Ron wiggled out of his mother's arms and smoothed his hair. "I won't do anything Fred and George wouldn't do!" he promised, then pushed his trunk trolley through the barrier between platforms nine and ten before the 'promise' could register.  
  
"Ron...." Mr. Weasley warned, but it was too late; his son was already gone.  
  
Harry waved at his wizard 'foster parents'. "See you later!" he called before disappearing through the barrier after his friend.  
  
******  
  
Ron was standing at the edge of the milling crowd of Hogwarts students and their parents, waiting for a chance to board the shiny red Hogwarts Express. He had a silly grin on his face and Harry laughed.  
  
"So, in other words, you were letting your mother know to expect you to get into a LOT of trouble this year?"  
  
"I would never lie to my mother...." Ron said with an evil grin, as the two boys made their way through the crowds and onto the train.  
  
"Seen Hermione anywhere?" Harry asked causally as a couple of first years ran past them.  
  
"Not yet. Hey, our usual compartment is still empty," Ron replied, leading the way into the empty booth. The boys stored their trunks under their seats and collapsed onto the soft, cloth-covered benches.  
  
"Man," Harry said with a sigh, leaning his neck back and resting his head against the top of the seat, "my neck is killing me! Remind me never to sleep on a stone bench again!"  
  
"Never sleep on a stone bench again," an obedient voice parroted back at him and Harry jerked his head up, his eyes opening again.  
  
Hermione Granger was standing in the doorway to their compartment only...she wasn't the Hermione that Harry remembered from their sixth year. Oh no...this Hermione was different.  
  
Hermione was smiling down at him, laughter alight in her hazel eyes. Her brown hair was still curly as ever, only now it wasn't as bushy. It had been tamed somewhat and hung down her back, near her waist. She had grown about 2 inches, bringing her short stature to a grand total of five feet, six inches, average for a girl their age, but still small compared to Ron and Harry's towering forms of six feet and six foot two.  
  
She was wearing hip hugging black jeans, with silver designs up the legs until the knees, and a pink tank-top. Over top of that she wore a white zip-up hooded sweater, only opened part way. Harry's eyes traveled unknowingly from her chunky soled black shoes, past the black and silver belt that hung loosely around her slender waist, past her jacket and up to her face. Hermione just looked "different" and Harry really couldn't figure out why it bothered him. He stared at her a second longer; just when had his little bushy-haired friend developed curves like those? However, our hero couldn't form any intelligent words at this moment so all that he got out was:  
  
"Hermione! You...got BIG!"  
  
Ron, who had just then been taking a drink of Pumpkin Juice from his thermos, choked.  
  
Hermione's smile faltered a fraction of a second, and she gave Harry an odd look.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Harry tried to cover. "That is...you got bigger..." Damn, this wasn't working. "I mean, you're aged...grown older...in a good way--" He cut himself off to level a glare at his friend, who was attempting to hold in such intense laughter that his face was a red as his hair.  
  
"Step in any time, Ron," he hissed in annoyance, and a slight panic. This was not going well.  
  
"You're doing just find on your own, mate." Ron gasped out. Hermione raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Are you feeling alright, Harry?" she asked, a little concern in her voice.  
  
"Fine. Great. Er...have a seat, Hermione." Harry muttered, feeling his own face struggle to beat Ron's in color, and quickly taking a seat by the window, turning his face away from hers, but not before he sent a death glare at his supposed 'best friend'. So much for helping each other out in 'times of need'.  
  
Ron had recovered by then and asked Hermione how her summer had gone. Hermione lapsed into a story of her summer at the seashore, (which, Harry realized then, accounted for the slight tan she was sporting) pausing every now and then to explain to Ron what a surfboard was, and nearly killing herself with attempts to explain what different 'surfing terms' meant, as the train began to move, quickly picking up speed.  
  
Harry kept out of the conversation for as long as he could, but Hermione hadn't forgotten about him. Thankfully, when she did speak to him, she pretended as if his earlier idiotic display hadn't taken place.  
  
"Harry, what did you mean when you were talking about sleeping on a stone bench before?"  
  
"Huh?" Harry responded intelligently, turning to face his friend and coming nearly nose to nose with her. "Erm..." He quickly moved back a few inches before continuing, "Vernon dropped me off rather early and I sort of fell asleep on one of the passenger benches beside the waiting room. If Ron's mum hadn't spotted me and woken me up, I'd probably still be there." He gave her a crocked grin and she smiled in return.  
  
"Does your neck feel any better?" was her next question. Harry blinked at her. His neck? Oh, right, he had been complaining about it when she had first entered their car. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck unconsciously.  
  
"My neck? Er...I guess it's still a little stiff. Rock isn't exactly the best thing to take a nap on."  
  
"Here, let me help you get the kinks out. Turn around," Hermione ordered.  
  
Harry obediently turned his back toward her, not really understanding what she meant, but the second her strong fingers began to knead his aching shoulder muscles he tensed up, little shivers running throughout his entire body.  
  
"Hold still, Harry, and relax, or I won't be able to do this right," Hermione chided him.  
  
Harry tried to do so, but after only a few minutes he couldn't take it any more. He jumped to his feet, startling Hermione and she half fell over onto the seat where he had just been sitting.  
  
"Harry?" she questioned.  
  
"I...er...hear the snack trolley! I'm going to go get something to eat," Harry called hastily over his shoulder, crossing their compartment in a stride and a half, stepping out into the hall and closing the sliding door behind him.  
  
Ron raised his eyebrows at the retreating shadow of his friend as Harry made his way past the shaded glass and down the hall, then turned and looked at Hermione.  
  
"No. I don't know what's wrong with him today," was all he would say.  
  
Hermione just sighed then opened her book bag. She pulled out her 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7' and began to read, or rather, re-read, as she had already skimmed though the book that summer, and memorize some of the harder spells to learn.  
  
******  
  
Harry ambled down the hallway, muttering to himself. That hadn't even been a good lie. The snack trolley always came to each compartment personally; he didn't need to get up to meet it. Why had he reacted that way? His muscles were screaming at him, complaining because of only a half finished massage, but when Harry had felt Hermione's hands on his shoulders he had also felt little jolts of electricity run throughout the rest of his body and that startled him. Hermione was his friend, one of his BEST friends. They hugged and touched all the time, but for some reason, this year was different and Harry couldn't figure out why. That was why he had to leave, get away from his two friends, one in particular, for a while.  
  
He heard familiar voices in a nearing compartment and slid open the door to stick his head in.  
  
"Hiya Harry!" came the slightly deeper voice of Colin Creevey. The mousy boy had grown to about five foot eight now, making him actually look a little grown up, as opposed to his tiny form of five-foot nothing when they had first met back in Harry's second year. His blond hair now reached his shoulders and his blue eyes...let's just say that according to Ron -- through the source of his sister -- Colin was quite the lady killer now.  
  
"Hey Colin." Harry nodded his head in the younger boy's direction.  
  
Speaking of Ginny, she was sitting in the seat opposite him, with one Neville Longbottom sitting next to her. Neville had matured himself, growing almost as tall as Harry, and losing about twenty pounds over the last few years to make him rather good looking as well. His face was still youngish looking though, and he still stuttered when confronted with Professor Snape, but he was more often than not standing up for himself against others.  
  
Ginny was looking well, too. Her shiny, coppery hair now hung down to her mid-back and her pale face had a little color to its cheeks now. Of course, that was quite possibly from the fact that she was sitting next to Neville, and it was no secret to Ron, Harry, or even Hermione that Ginny had a crush on him.  
  
"Hey Ginny, Neville." He nodded at them. "Mind if I join you guys for a while?" Harry asked as he made his way into the car completely.  
  
"Sure Harry, have seat," Colin offered, patting the seat next to him.  
  
"What about Ron and Hermione?" Ginny asked as Harry closed the door and sat down.  
  
"Oh, they're fine. I just spoke with them actually. We've got a car farther to the back, our usual place," Harry informed her. "I just thought I'd take a walk around and see some other people. I don't get much wizarding contact during the summer."  
  
Ginny nodded sympathetically, then turned to Neville and struck up a conversation about a new spell that she had been trying to learn. Colin turned to Harry as he pulled out a familiar board.  
  
"Wizard's Chess?"  
  
"Sure." Harry grinned, and settled down to play. He didn't leave the car until the call to get their robes on, because they would soon be at Hogwarts, crackled over the intercom several hours later. 


	3. Upsetting the Balance

Welcome to part 3! I'm glad that you guys are enjoying this story. I was a little nervous earlier because it was my first try at this type of story, but you guys have set my little writing heart at ease! I was so stoked at the reviews for parts 1 and 2 that I sat down and wrote part 3 in one afternoon! Please keep sending in your reviews! My heart does a little leap each time I see the 'Fanfiction.net Review Alert!' in my inbox! Hee. ^ ^* By the way, the reason for the title of this fic will come into play later on. Onward....  
  
***OotP SPOILERS*** Not much, but enough. You have been warned.  
  
I Love You, Don't Touch Me!  
  
Chapter 3: Upsetting the Balance  
  
PG-13 (maybe higher)  
  
When Harry entered the car where he had left his two friends he found them both already in their uniforms and robes. Hermione gave him a look.  
  
"Where have you been?" She asked.  
  
Her tone was casual, but Harry could see she was still a little hurt that he had left so abruptly and then not returned for the entire trip.  
  
"I was hanging out with Neville, Colin and Ginny." Harry replied as he pulled his trunk out and opened the top to get at his school clothes.  
  
"Oh, how are Ginny and Neville doing?" Hermione asked from back behind her large spell book. Ron mouthed 'we have to talk' , so that Hermione couldn't hear, and gave Harry an intense look as he brushed past him on the pretense that he was going to see his sister about something. Harry stared at the back of the Standard Book of Spells Vol. 7 for a moment before addressing Hermione's question.  
  
"They seem rather cozy. Kind of cute together. Neville is a little dense though, I don't think he realizes that she likes him."  
  
"Hmmm..." Was all his female friend sent back in way of comment. Harry cleared his throat and gathered his clothes in his arms.  
  
"Erm...I'm just going to go change. I'll meet you and Ron on the platform when we stop, ok?"  
  
Hermione peeked over the top of her book. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, she didn't seem mad at him. Maybe his reaction earlier was just a one time thing. After all, he wasn't feeling anything weird hanging out alone with Hermione now.  
  
"Sure Harry, see you in a few minutes." Hermione said, still seemingly absorbed in her textbook.  
  
"Uh, Hermione?" Harry paused then. He wanted to apologize for his actions earlier but wasn't sure how to start.  
  
"Yes?" She was still behind her book.  
  
"I'm...sorry for taking off on you before. Thanks for the back rub...I feel a lot better." He gave her another of his crocked smiles and she gave him half a smile back.  
  
"Glad I could help, Harry."  
  
Harry turned and left the car then, making his way down the hallway to the bathroom to get changed. Normally he and Ron would change together and then they would let Hermione take her turn while they waited outside, but as Harry hadn't come back until the last minute, he had missed Hermione's usual early warning to get changed before there was a crowd and so now he had to wait in the line up outside the men's bathes. Of course, he realized as he made his way toward the bathrooms, he could have asked Hermione to stand outside for a few moments, but he was embaressed enough talking with her already, and didn't think he would be able to make it through a a few more minutes of conversation, especially if it involved any reference to taking clothes off, regardless of who's clothes they were. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and joined Dean and Neville in the line.  
  
******  
  
Fifteen minutes later Harry and Ron, whom he had met on his way back to the car where Hermione was, were waiting on the platform with Ginny, Neville, Luna Lovegood (who had appeared out of none where as soon as they got off the train and was standing just a shade to close for Ron to be comfortable) and Hermione, for Hagrid to make his usual call to gather the first years.  
  
"Firs' years this way! Come on! Hurry up now!" A pause. "'arry! 'ermione! Ron! Nice to see you kids again. Ready for your las' year?"  
  
"Oh, please don't say that Hagrid." Hermione pleaded, "It's sad enough as it is."  
  
"Don' worry 'ermione. I'm sure that this year will be one of your bes'." Then he grinned a typical smile, as only Hagrid could manage and Hermione smiled too.  
  
"I'm sure it will be Hagrid. We'll come visit you as soon as we're settled in, alright?"  
  
"I'll be expectin' yeh." Hagrid called, then turned his attention back to the half terrified 11 year olds running around in the chaos that always accompanied the disembarking of the Express.  
  
"Hey you! Get over here with the rest of your year!" He roared, not meaning to, but being unable to do anything else when he raised his voice. A couple of tiny kids scurried to comply and trod on Ron's feet as they pushed past. Ron snorted.  
  
"Were we ever that small?"  
  
Harry laughed as he spotted a carriage and signaled to his friends to join him inside.  
  
"Ron, when we were in first year, people in seventh could have squashed us with one foot."  
  
Ron made his way quickly inside the carriage, managing to settle himself on one of the seats and hide from view before Luna noticed he was gone. Harry waited to close the door after Hermione, who was still climbing the steps to the carriage then, got inside. However, it was at the same moment that the carriage jerked and began to move. Hermione let out a startled gasp and nearly fell off.  
  
"Hermione! Hang on!" Harry called, causing Ron to start, and then leap up to see what was happening.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione cried, only grasping the doorframe with one hand. The magical steps were beginning to slide under the carriage where they stored themselves while the carriage was in motion and Hermione was precariously close to falling off altogether.  
  
"Help!" She was sounding a little frantic now. Even being a witch, a fall from a moving carriage was the same as falling out of a moving car. Hermione would have serious injuries if she hit the ground now.  
  
Harry wrapped one hand securely around the piping on the top of one of the inner benches and leaned out toward his friend. Grasping her waist he held on tightly and heaved. Hermione let out a squeak and then they both tumbled onto the carriage floor.  
  
"Oof..." Was all Harry mumbled when they crashed down. The carriage door slid closed with a click and Ron stood over them.  
  
"Er..you two ok there?"  
  
The tangle of arms and legs didn't move for a total of 3 seconds then the bundle of robes that Ron supposed was Hermione began to panic.  
  
"Oh Harry! Are you alright? Am I squashing you? I'm so sorry!" A short pause. "Um, thanks for rescuing me..." she added somewhat shyly.  
  
Harry couldn't move for several reasons. The first one being that Hermione was on top of him. The second one being that Hermione was *on top* of him. When she shifted her weight, and quickly scrambled off his chest, Harry lay still for a few moments concentrating on breathing.  
  
In....Out....In....Out...  
  
"Hey Harry! You dead mate? Did Hermione really squish you? Must have been all those caldron cakes you ate on the train Herms, they went straight to your hips."  
  
The next thing that Harry heard was a squeal from Hermione and a yelp from Ron. He sat up to see Hermione standing in front of their red-haired friend, her wand out and pointed at him, and Ron himself sitting awkwardly on the opposite bench, his hair singed. Harry got to his feet.  
  
"You ought to know better than to tease Hermione about her weight Ron. She's a girl for Merlin's sake! Do you have a death wish?"  
  
Hermione flounced across the dark carriage and sat beside Harry. Harry turned to look at her.  
  
"Are you alright Hermione? What were you thinking about that you forgot these carriages have schedules to keep?"  
  
Hermione was avoiding his gaze. "Nothing important. I don't know where my head was just then." She mumbled, reaching for her book bag once again.  
  
"Man, Herms, you're not going to read again, are you? Why waste the last precious moments we have before school starts doing homework that we're going to have to do every day after we arrive!?"  
  
Hermione gave Ron an indignant look. "If you studied one tenth as much as I do Ron, you might actually have a chance at passing your N.E.W.T.S. in the spring!"  
  
Ron's ears colored again, but he looked down and didn't comment as Hermione opened her book. Harry moved across the carriage to sit next to his friend.  
  
"What did you want to talk about?" He asked in a low voice. Ron glanced at Hermione then back to his best friend.  
  
"Not here." He mumbled, and Harry gave him a confused look.  
  
"How did you like the quill and ink I got you?" Ron said more loudly then, and Harry gave him another confused look.  
  
"I already told you they were nice, more of a Hermione sort of present, but still nice." Harry replied.  
  
Ron grinned at him. "You haven't used them yet, have you?" It was more of a statement then a question.  
  
"No..." Harry answered slowly.  
  
"That was the gift the twins and I gave you. It's a new prototype for their shop. Invisible ink!" So that explained what Ron had meant back on the platform in London.  
  
"But Ron, invisible ink isn't anything special, it's been around for ages, even in Muggle London!" Harry protested, then quickly added, "Not that I don't like it, because I do! It'll come in real handy when I want to pass notes in class!"  
  
"That it will Harry," Ron replied, still grinning, "But this is no ordinary invisible ink. This ink actually makes *things* invisible. Imagine if you will..." he continued placing one hand on Harry's shoulder and pointing off to an empty corner of the carriage, "You're being bothered by some slimy git such as...." he paused for a fraction of a second, "Oh, let's say Malfoy or one of his cronies; they knock over your ingredients in Potions or something. Well, you just go and 'erase' one of theirs. You know how stingy Snape is about letting students get extra stores. They can only go and get more so many times before even Snape will have to deduct points from his own house!"  
  
Harry grinned too this time. This could in indeed prove useful and he told Ron so.  
  
"You know Ron, this, combined with my Father's cloak, could be very handy during the year..."  
  
"I know. You just better not leave me out of any of your adventures." Ron shot back. Harry laughed and promised he wouldn't.  
  
"Honestly, you guys....." Hermione admonished her friends. Sometimes she wondered what she was doing with two males for her best friends. The carriage gave a lurch then, and shuddered to a halt.  
  
"Guess we're here." Ron quipped and hopped up to open the door, flooding the moonlight into the cramped compartment. He climbed down, Harry following, and Hermione coming last. The joined the throngs of people heading up the steps of the Hogwarts School and entered the Great Hall. The trio headed to their usual seats at the Griffendor Table and sat down to watch the Sorting Ceremony take place.  
  
*******  
Hermione glanced at the two tall boys sitting on either side of her. Harry was looking at the stage and watching as the first years made their way up to the front to sit on the three-legged stool and be sorted.  
  
Harry noted that most of them looked quite terrified as they put on the hat and remained so until they could take it off again. He didn't blame them. He remembered back to the first time he had put on the old hat and had it talk, well, rather 'think', into his head. It could be quite an unnerving experience.  
  
Ron was chatting animatedly with Seamus and Dean about some Quidditch match that had taken place in the last week of August. Hermione studied Harry's profile for a moment. His face had become highly defined, with chiseled features, and he sported short sideburns coming to the tops of his ears. His dark hair was still as unruly as ever, and his bangs had grown longer (as his Aunt never took him to the Barber's, she had given up after realizing that his hair would just grow back to at least it's original length over night) and now hung in his eyes.  
  
And oh his eyes. Hermione hadn't really paid any attention to Harry's eyes before, but now that she had the chance to really look at them she was surprised at the intense emotions swirling around in their emerald depths. She blinked and forced her gaze past Harry's face and up to platform. The ceremony had just finished and Dumbledor had risen.  
  
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts...." the headmaster began, then went through all the now familiar rules to those in second year and up. Don't go in the Forbidden Forest, it's forbidden for a reason. Don't do "X" number of noisy (fun) activities indoors, as Filch had added about 50 new things to his rolling lists of 'unallowables' on school property. Then Dumbledor gestured to the crowd with both hands and made his last announcement.  
  
"Would this year's Head Boy and Head Girl please stand so that all the Houses can see who you are?"  
  
Hermione rose to a standing position, Harry and Ron both shooting her surprised and then understanding looks. Of course she was Head Girl, who else would it be? Then they both turned to look around to see who the Head Boy was. Their jaws dropped. Across the room, near the back end of a house table, stood none other than.....  
  
"Neville?!" Ron cried in horse surprise.  
  
The whispers rose at once, and before long the Hall was buzzing with hushed voices.  
  
"Yes, Yes, welcome to you both. I'm sure that you'll take your duties seriously. Please see your Head of House after the Welcome Feast is over so that you can get a few instructions. And now...tuck in!" Dumbledor didn't seem to find anything wrong with the two new Heads, in fact, his eyes had their familiar merry twinkle as he spread his hands once again and the house tables magically filled with food.  
  
Harry and Ron turned to Hermione at the same time; the same question on their lips:  
  
"Neville?!"  
  
"Hermione, we can't say we're surprised that you were picked, I mean, it's been rather obvious since our first year, but Neville? No one will take him seriously! What was Dumbledor thinking?" Ron began.  
  
"Well, at least we have two Gryffindor's as the School Heads. Maybe something can be done about the Slytherins." Seamus commented, leaning around Ron's shoulder.  
  
"But why Neville?" Dean cut in from across the table.  
  
Harry glanced over at a certain red-head sitting in between Dean and Lavender. She was looking down at her plate and her cheeks were pink. She seemed somewhere between bursting into tears and hexing someone into next year.  
  
"Er...Maybe we're all over-reacting? I'm sure he...er...won't be that bad. Actually, Neville's changed a lot over the years, he's not nearly like he was in first year you know...." Harry trailed off, glancing around at the others who had fallen quiet when he spoke up.  
  
Ginny had lifted her head and was giving him a little smile. Harry grinned back at her then stood up, raising his goblet of Pumpkin Juice high in the air.  
  
"Three Cheers for Hermione and Neville! The new School Heads!!!!"  
  
The rest of the Gryffindor's glanced at him for a moment then jumped to their feet and raised their glasses as the table roared their approval. Moments later Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw got to their feet and raised their glasses too, loud cheers erupting for them also. The Slytherins only clapped half-heartedly; and even then only because they caught several professors, including Dumbledor, looking at them.  
  
Hermione smiled gratefully at Harry. She hadn't wanted to answer the others' questions herself. She didn't know why Dumbledor had picked Neville either, nor why two Gryffindor's were the Heads and not two kids from different houses, but she didn't really care. Harry tipped his goblet back and drained it triumphantly before taking his seat again. He draped his arm around Hermione's shoulder and gave her a one-armed hug.  
  
"Congratulations Herms! I know you'll be great!"  
  
She blushed slightly, but her wide smile told him that she was extremely pleased with everything. Further down the table several students were clapping Neville on the back and giving him similar congratulations.  
  
The rest of the feast passed without incident and after it was over Hermione and Neville walked up to the head table for their meeting with Professor McGonagall. Ron and Harry told Hermione that they would meet her in the common room after she was finished and headed back Gryffindor Tower to unpack their things.  
  
Hermione watched them go with mixed feelings. This year was already going to be different than all those that they had spent together before. It wasn't just that the balance of life in Hogwarts was going to change with her and Neville, especially with Neville, being school Heads, but somewhere deep inside her heart, Hermione knew that something was going to happen that year that would change all of their lives forever. 


	4. Through the Wards

Thanks for coming back! How was that for a twist in chapter 3? It's been so common that Malfoy was made "Head Boy" and then the Trio was 'so shocked' etc. I was going to do that too at first, then thought, why not make this fic different then the rest? After all, that's what I'm trying to do with my storyline, and that's hard in itself as there are already so many great stories out there! Check my "Fave. Author/Story" Lists to see some great HP fics!  
  
Latin: Animus ac Fidelis = Brave and Loyal (Gryffindor Password)  
  
Slang: That's 'Whinging' that Snape says, as in 'to whinge' or 'to whine' in American English.  
  
As always please R&R! I love all my readers! Your reviews make my day!  
  
***OotP SPOILERS*** Not much, but enough. You have been warned.  
  
I Love You, Don't Touch Me!  
  
Chapter 4: Through the Wards  
  
PG-13 (maybe higher)  
  
Professor McGonagall informed Hermione and Neville that their Head Girl and Boy rooms would remain in Gryffindor Tower as they were both Gryffindor's. They would still get the privilege of having their own bedrooms as all Heads did, and would still get access to to the Prefect Lounge, however they also would have permission to access a different, slightly smaller lounge that only the Heads were allowed to use. They might bring one or two friends into it on occasion, but any large socializing was to be done in their regular common room. She told them the password to the private lounge, then the new Gryffindor password and sent them on their way.  
  
"Congratulations Neville." Hermione said sincerely as they exited the nearly deserted Hall and made their way up the stairs in the entry way toward their dormitory.  
  
"I'm sure you'll do a great job."  
  
Neville blushed slightly as he looked down at his feet.  
  
"Thanks Hermione. I'll really try my best. I don't know why Professor Dumbledor picked me for this position though...no one will listen to me, I know, I heard the others saying so before..."  
  
Hermione stopped dead and placed a hand on Neville's arm to make him halt too.  
  
"Neville Longbottom!" She admonished, "Don't you dare let what other's think of you make you feel that you don't deserve this position! If anything, it should just be motivation. I mean, really, won't it be fun to see them eat their words at the end of the year?" Hermione asked earnestly.  
  
She liked Neville for several reasons, one of the most important being that he was much like her, especially when she thought back to her schooling in Muggle London, and her first year at Hogwarts. He was still an outcast, like she had been, not that that had changed much after coming to Hogwarts (although Harry and Ron helped Hermione to keep her confidence up). Neville was laughed at because he was different, and somewhat shy. Hermione hated to see anyone treated that way.  
  
Neville smiled down at her. "You're right Hermione! I'm going to make this the best year ever!"  
  
Hermione smiled back at him. His words may have sounded somewhat cheesy, but she was proud of him.  
  
"Good for you Neville! I know you will, and if all else fails, remember that we have the power to take points...don't let the Slytherin's push you around." She added with a slightly evil grin. Neville matched her smile, but Hermione could see in his eyes that he doubted he would have the courage to take points from the other houses.  
  
They had reached the entrance to their common room at that point and the "Fat Lady" gave them a motherly smile from her portrait.  
  
"Have a good summer, dears?" she asked politely.  
  
"Yes, thank-you." Hermione smiled. She was smiling a lot that evening. She was just so very glad to be back at school.  
  
"Animus ac Fidelis" Neville called from behind her and the portrait swung open. They both stepped over the low piece of wall between the Fat Lady's portrait and the ground, and into the common room. Harry and Ron were waiting by the fire.  
  
Hermione turned to the tall boy standing beside her, he had lost a rather large amount of weight since his first year, either that, or had finally grown into his 'baby fat'.  
  
"Good night, Neville."  
  
"Good night, Hermione." Neville echoed back, then turned and walked up the steps to the Boy's Dorms. The Head Boy's room (like the Head Girl's) was at the far end of the hall that year. Normally these rooms weren't there, but as this was magic school, it obviously wasn't hard for the Professor's to place them there because of the 'special situation'.  
  
"Harry! Ron! Sorry we took so long..." Hermione called as she made her way across the common room and nestled herself into one of the overstuffed armchairs. Harry was sitting slouched over the arm of a couch near the fireplace and Ron was sitting in a similar armchair across from him. They both looked up when she sat down.  
  
"Hey Herms. So where're the Heads' rooms this year?" Ron asked lazily from his position draped over the two arms of his chair, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
"They're in Gryffindor Tower." Hermione answered, drawing her legs up under her body and pulling her skit down to her cover her feet after she was settled. Although this wasn't accomplished before she unknowingly caused Harry to blush because of a sudden accidental flash of her upper thigh.  
  
"Er...what's that supposed to mean? I mean, I thought the Head Boy's and Girl's rooms were off in some other part of the castle?" Harry asked, thankful for the dim evening lighting. There were only a few candles floating lazily around the ceiling besides the cheery fire crackling in the grate.  
  
"Oh, well, Professor McGonagall told Neville and I that our rooms were going to stay in the Tower this year because we were both Gryffindor's. She said that this was a rather uncommon occurrence, in fact, there's never been two heads from the same house at the same time in all of Hogwarts History. And I ought to know because I--"  
  
"--Read it in 'Hogwarts: A History', we know, we know." Ron piped out of the shadows where his chair was situated. Hermione glared at him then turned back to Harry.  
  
"Alright, I did check, just to be sure, but still...." She pouted for a moment and Harry lifted his head to gaze at his red-haired best friend.  
  
"Ron, be nice...." He mumbled, earning him a snort from the jumble of robes that was his dozing friend. "Happy Herms?"  
  
"Gee, thanks Harry." Hermione muttered sarcastically. "Anyway," She continued after a moment's pause, "Our rooms are at the very ends of the dorms. They're still private rooms, we do retain that privilege, however we also get access to the Head Lounge. Only us." She stressed. "Maybe I'll take you and Ron there sometime, if you're nice to me." She added sweetly.  
  
Harry sat up, "Where is it?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Not Telling!" Hermione sang out, getting to her feet and beginning to saunter away toward the girls' staircase. Harry jumped to his feet and caught up to her in seconds. He took hold of her arm, causing Hermione to turn half way around and face him with a bit of jolt. She let out a small yelp of shock at his touch, then halted completely staring up into his dark eyes.  
  
Harry seemed to have gone into a similar daze as he looked down at her, but covered quickly,  
  
"Please??" He pouted, looking completely adorable.  
  
Hermione stared at him for a second, then she leaned in toward to him. Closer.... closer...close enough that Harry began to be uncomfortably aware of just *how* close their two faces were, then she mustered up an arrogant grin.  
  
"Not even under torture!" She whispered sweetly, pulling herself out of his grasp easily as Harry was too dumbfounded to move. As Hermione skipped up the stairs, disappearing around a corner and down the hall to her room, Harry stared after her. Did she have *any* idea what she had just done to him?  
  
Ron, thankfully, was snoring lightly in his chair, and hadn't observed a thing. Harry made his way back to his couch with slightly shaking legs, and sat heavily. He didn't know how long he sat without moving, but when the clock in the corner of the room struck half past eleven he jumped with surprise. Harry sighed, then got to his feet and walked over to Ron to shake his shoulder.  
  
"No...please!....Help me...I hate--" Ron mumbled in his sleep. Harry looked down at Ron's face. He seemed to be having a nightmare of some kind.  
  
"Ron! ...RON!" Harry hissed, as loudly as he dared. Somehow the quietness of the common room made him feel guilty if he made any noise.  
  
Ron jerked awake, his eyes wide and a little wild. "No!" He yelped and Harry jumped back from the chair with a start. Then he noticed Harry and blinked at him sleepily.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Er...Ron? Are you alright?" Harry asked cautiously. "What were you dreaming about?"  
  
Ron shuddered and stood up. "Brr...I was walking along the grounds, going to visit Hagrid, and then, all of the sudden these huge radishes came bouncing out of the Forbidden Forest! Luna was running behind them, herding them with her wand, and telling them to trap me!"  
  
Harry gave his best mate a look that said 'you're mad' and Ron glared at him.  
  
"Well, imagine if it had been you! Looney Lovegood is crazy! What if she had been chasing you!"  
  
Harry laughed. "Sorry Ron, it's just that...you sounded like you were having some terrific nightmare and..." he trailed off.  
  
"And?" Ron prompted, still glaring a little.  
  
"Well...er...radishes don't seem all that frightening to me!"  
  
"Trust me, they are!" Ron huffed, "What time is it anyway?"  
  
"About 20 minutes to midnight. I figured that we'd both better get some real sleep in our dorms before classes tomorrow." Harry said, gesturing toward the clock.  
  
"Riiiiiight...." Ron yawned, and the two made their way back up the stone steps to the familiar dorm room that they shared with Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigin. They changed into their pajama's, and drew their velvet bed hangings, but before they both fell into an exhausted sleep, both boys lay awake for at least another half hour. Ron, still trying to get the images of Luna and her radishes (come to think of it, he realized that they were, in fact, her earnings grown to huge sizes) out of his head, and Harry, because he couldn't get over the weird feelings he was having about Hermione, and why the littlest things that she had done the past two days had set his brain in a whirl.  
  
*******  
  
The next morning Harry and Ron made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were both so tired from the night before that Ron nearly fell asleep in his scrambled eggs ("Ron! Wake up!" Hermione cried, just saving him from a yolk facial.) and Harry tried to deposit the knut for his Daily Prophet into Dean's orange juice ("Hey Harry! What'cha doing mate?") instead of the little leather purse tied to the left leg of the messenger owl.  
  
"What's with you two this morning? We have Potions in 15 minutes and if you're not awake you're liable to burn down the dungeon!" Hermione chided them as she finished her piece of toast and jelly and wiped her hands on a cloth napkin.  
  
"At least then he'd have a *fair* reason to take points from Gryffindor." Ron grumbled, yawning again.  
  
"Didn't you sleep at all last night? Come on you guys! We have classes today, the holiday's are over." Hermione admonished Harry, Ron was busy aiming for his shoulder with his fork of eggs. He didn't have enough energy, or at least wasn't coherent enough, to actually get his breakfast into his mouth.  
  
"Ron, your mouth is about 6 inches up." She sighed, and the second youngest Weasly finally managed get some food down.  
  
'Honestly," She turned to Harry, "You two did sleep, right? I mean, you didn't go and start using that stupid ink last night already, did you?"  
  
Harry grinned, "Nope, not yet, although Ron here appears to have a problem with certain small, red, turnip-like veggies." He added evilly. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, then glanced at Ron, who was getting more awake by the minute; the more food he managed to swallow.  
  
"Don't ask." was all he would say to her, and Harry laughed. "So, what do we have after Potions?"  
  
"Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, double block, then lunch, then CoMC with Ravenclaw." Was her prompt reply.  
  
"Knew you'd have the schedule memorized already, Herms." Harry cut in, and Hermione flushed faintly.  
  
"Who do we have Potions with?" Ron asked, "And if you say we have Potions 'with the Slytherins' I'll never speak to you again."  
  
Hermione gave him a sympathetic look, "It's been nice knowing you...."  
  
Ron groaned. "Why why why? Every bloody year we get stuck with them!"  
  
"I thought you weren't speaking to me?" Hermione commented sweetly, causing Harry to snort into his milk, and Ron to glare at both of them.  
  
"Oh grow up."  
  
******  
  
Draco Malfoy sat in a back corner of Dungeon 4, waiting for his Potions class to start. A few other Gryffindor's were scattered around the left half of the dimly lit room, most of them sitting near the back, as far away from the teacher's desk as possible. He smirked at them from his position in the shadows. If they figured that it was less likely that Snape would pick on them if they sat in the back, they were dead wrong, and more stupid then he thought.  
  
Draco knew Snape as well as the other Slytherin's, and he knew that Snape went to great pains to draw attention to those student's whom he could tell most hoped he would leave them alone. That was one of the reason's he knew why the pathetic Gryffindor Trio (of Potter, Weasly, and the Mudblood), were so often the subject of his wrath. They did just that. This was also why he wasn't surprised to see Granger hurry into the classroom with an armload of books, her book bag hanging off one shoulder, and settle herself down at a table with 2 other chairs, in the second row from the back. She hadn't noticed him, sitting only two tables down and one row behind her. He was covered in shadows.  
  
Draco smiled to himself, no body guards today....time to have a little fun. He rose silently from his chair and made his way to the spot directly behind Hermione. Then, leaning down so his voice would be right in her ear, he hissed,  
  
"Morning Granger, misplaced your two boys this morning?"  
  
Hermione jumped at the sudden voice, but refused to turn her head. She knew who was behind her, who else would it be? Actually, she should have been expecting this. No Harry and no Ron equaled a particularly nasty Malfoy. Keeping her eyes on her book bag, Hermione continued to sort through her other books for her Potion's text.  
  
"I won't even dignify that with a response, Malfoy, now get lost." she retorted frostily.  
  
Draco bristled, how dare she talk to him that way? He leaned closer, his breath warm tickling her neck,  
  
"Isn't that technically a response, Granger?" he asked silkily in, what she considered, his annoyingly arrogant voice.  
  
Hermione stiffened, he was entirely too close for comfort. Fortunately, at that same moment, two people came skidding around the doorway into the classroom, and ran for their seats. Malfoy pulled back and slipped into his own seat without attracting the notice of the two boys. Hermione held her position until Harry and Ron had dropped, panting, into their chairs, then turned a sunny smile on both of them. She was determined not to let Malfoy get to her on her first day back.  
  
"Just made it!" Ron said in a quiet, yet triumphant, voice. Seconds later a tall man, with greasy black hair and long black robes, swept into the classroom.  
  
"Yeah, Snape was just coming out of his office, we nearly got busted for being late!" Harry added, pulling his Potion's book out of his bag.  
  
"Potter, Weasly, 10 points each for running in the corridors." Snape said with what had to be sadistic glee. He wore his trademark half-smile, really more of a smirk, (which must be where Malfoy had learned) which he always reserved for encounters with the three Gryffindor's, and turned his back on them as he crossed the classroom to his large Oak desk and sat down.  
  
Harry's head jerked up. "Did he just say 10 points?"  
  
"Each." Ron informed him glumly.  
  
"But we're been back at school for a day and a half and we haven't even been in his class 3 minutes yet!" Harry protested hotly.  
  
"If you would please refrain from whinging until after class is over, Mr. Potter, or I could make that an even 20...each." Snape said smoothly, leveling a cool look at the two boys.  
  
Harry glared back, hard, but shut up. He knew that Snape was being unfair to them, he always was, but Harry refused to give him any other reason to loose them points when they hadn't even had a chance to earn any yet.  
  
"I wonder what negative 20 points will look like?" Ron grumbled under his breath as he set his own Potion's book on the table.  
  
Severous Snape was not in the mood to be teaching the pathetic, whining, Gryffindor's that morning. He wasn't even particularly pleased to be teaching his own group of Slytherins. He had received a very annoying message the evening before, and it wasn't making him any bed of roses the following morning. The Dark Lord was on the move again. Severous wasn't entirely sure what the new plan was, but he had been informed that there would be an attack on his school, Hogwarts, sometime after Christmas, and it was now his job to see that the wards were down so that the plan could proceed smoothly.  
  
First of all, Severous only knew how to take down part of the wards, those that he had created, and part of the ones that Professor Sprout had put up, because he had been with her when she had created them. Second, he knew that this was a test of his loyalty, whether to Voldermort or to Dumbledor, and if he failed it.....well, Severous couldn't decide who he would most fear losing trust from.  
  
Harry jumped at the sound of Snape slamming down his Master Potion's book in the middle of his desk. Snape was glaring at him. Harry fought the urge to glare back, and quickly looked down at his desk again.  
  
"Everyone open your books to page 495. We will be making the potion on the bottom of the page." He didn't have the energy to split up the happy trio that morning. "You will work with your table groups. Anyone who doesn't complete their potion will get an automatic zero."  
  
A pause, while Ron and Harry exchanged looks with Hermione. They were actually going to be allowed to work together? Their moment of confusion was interrupted by Snape's growl of "What are you idiots waiting for? Get to work!" and then the three, like the rest of their classmates, scattered to gather the ingredients for their telepathy potion. 


	5. Why I Hate Snakes

Here's part 5! Just a fair warning, this story isn't going to portray Cho in a nice light. I like her character, really, but she was a bit (a lot) of a crybaby during book 5, and that got on my nerves. Come to think of it, Malfoy isn't going to get a good rating in this story either...so don't bite my head off. I love his character too, and a story with a D/Hr pairing is next on my list so never fear. ^ ^*  
  
As always please R&R! I love all my readers! Your reviews make my day!  
  
***OotP SPOILERS*** Not much, but enough. You have been warned.  
  
I Love You, Don't Touch Me!  
  
Chapter 5: Why I Hate Snakes  
  
PG-13 (maybe higher)  
  
Herbology passed without incident, although Neville had somehow (accidently) discovered that if you poured water, mixed with a few pieces of crushed bloodroot, onto a Fireweed plant it would burn different colors. Professor Sprout was so pleased with him that she gave him 15 points.  
  
Neville beamed with pride, still blushing a little because his 'discovery' had been due to his tripping over his stool and knocking over a grouping of small vials. Two of them had crashed into each other, breaking, and a small sprinkling of powder had fallen into the watering can. Then, when the students had been given instructions to water their plants, which, contrary to popular belief, do need water to grow, Neville's plant had flared up 3 feet and burned a brilliant purple and blue before settling back to its normal 8 inches of gold and bronze brightness. Neville had been so startled that he fell backwards over his chair and landed in a heap on the floor. By the time their professor had noticed Neville's plant, however, he had managed to pick himself up and was staring at it in awe.  
  
Seamus, who had been Neville's partner, gave him a wary look, (his face was streaked with soot from the ashes of the plant) then grinned at him.  
  
"Good on you mate! We've got a start on points already!"  
  
Ron elbowed Harry, "And he's nearly made up all the points that Snape lost us last period!"  
  
Harry nodded to acknowledge his friend's relieved whisper, but other than that, he was busy making notes on the properties of the Fireweed and reactions that it would have to other materials. Hermione was nodding at him encouragingly.  
  
"Don't forget to make a point about the bloodroot, Harry," She commented, before turning back to her own neatly written notes.  
  
Ron shook his head. This wasn't his department. He would much rather be out on the Quidditch pitch. He was Keeper again that year and just itching to get out and begin to practice again. He had played that summer with his brothers and Ginny, as she was a Chaser since the year before, but it just wasn't the same when they didn't have anyone else to play against.  
  
Later, as the three friends walked out of the Greenhouses and made their way across the grounds to Hargid's hut, Ron said so to Harry.  
  
"So, do you know when Quidditch practices start up again? Fred and George have helped Ginny and I train over the holidays, but it really isn't the same, you know. I'm dying to have another go at the Slytherin's. And you, I'm sure, wouldn't mid another go with Ravenclaw, isn't that right Harry? Show a certain Asian witch what's what?"  
  
Harry stopped and turned to Ron with a look of what might be called embarrassment or maybe a slight bit of shock.  
  
"Ron! I'm a game as you are to take those Slytherin gits down a peg or two, but I have no idea what you're talking about with Ravenclaw!"  
  
Ron grinned, "Sure you don't, mate. What about C.C., eh? I know you two had a bit of a falling out in 5th year, but you're still sweet on her...come on...admit it!"  
  
Harry flushed to the roots of his hair.  
  
"Cho and I were never together, so we couldn't have had any sort of 'falling out', as you so kindly put it. She was still in love with Cedric and I may have fancied her a bit, but she made it perfectly clear that I was only 'convenient'. I was only her 'connection' back to something that she had lost. She couldn't stop blubbering over Cedric the entire time, regardless of how she knew I must have felt about what had happened to him! For Merlin's sake, Ron! I was there when it happened! I'm over her now, I was probably over her before I even realized it back in fifth year, so just let it drop, ok?"  
  
Ron stared at Harry. He was floored. It was now that he realized Harry's red face wasn't from embarrassment, but rather from anger.  
  
"Sorry, Harry. I didn't know you'd still be so sore about it!" Ron said irritably, then turned and stalked on ahead.  
  
Hermione was standing off to the side, in the cool shadows of a pine tree, and had observed the whole thing. She was as surprised as Ron had been at Harry's outburst, but took a deep breath and walked back over to where Harry was standing, with his back to the group gathering at the half- giant's house, and to her, as he stared at the ground.  
  
"Um, Harry?" She questioned softly, raising her hand to touch his arm.  
  
"What?" Harry said loudly, spinning around to face her. Hermione jumped back with a start. When he discovered that it wasn't Ron, but Hermione, that had come to speak with him, Harry flushed slightly and cleared his throat.  
  
"Hermione? Er, sorry. I didn't know it was you."  
  
"Are you alright, Harry? I, um, heard what you said to Ron....actually, I'm not sure if the whole class didn't hear it..."  
  
After saying this she glanced back to the group of students, who were now getting together in a close group, as Hagrid opened the door of his hut and exited with Fang. He tied his boarhound to a post, then walked over the to the group of Ravenclaws and Gryffindor's. Cho was standing off to the side chatting with one of her friends, the girl who had ratted out the DADA two years back, Herminone couldn't remember her name but didn't deem it important, she made it a point to forget about traitorus-rat-fink people in life.  
  
Hermione noticed that Luna was standing beside Ron and talking animatedly to him about something. Ron was nodding occasionally, and actually seemed to be interested in the conversation. This caused Harry to smile a little, apparently radishes weren't that scarey after all. Cho didn't appear to have heard anything, to which Harry sighed with relief. He may be annoyed with her still, but he didn't want to start a row with her in the middle of class.  
  
"I...uh....I don't know what came over me, Herms." Harry said with his familiar use of her nickname, the one that Ron had come up with in their third year. And, in truth, he really didn't.  
  
Harry had thought that he was over Cho, and he was, but when Ron had begun to needle him teasingly, Harry had immediately wanted to make it perfectly clear that he no longer held any interest in the pretty Chinese Ravenclaw other than their friendly, yet competitive, Quidditch matches. He was still a bit bitter at the way his first love had ended up, although he would never admit that to anyone else in so many words, and that was part of the reason that he had lashed out at her character when Ron had informed Harry that he thought he still had feelings for her. Hermione, on the other had, noticed emotions raging in his eyes, and felt vaguely uncomfortable in the intense way he was looking at her.  
  
"I think class is starting Harry..." Hermione said awkwardly, and indeed it was, as Hagrid noticed them standing on the path still and called to them.  
  
"'arry! 'ermione! Are the two of yeh joining us this morning?"  
  
"Coming Hagrid!" Hermione called back to him, and grabbed Harry's arm to drag him up the path.  
  
"I won't pretend to understand what's got you all riled up about Cho today, Harry, but Ron didn't deserve to have you explode at him like that." She chided him. Harry glanced down at the top of her honey brown head (he really liked the natural highlights the sun had streaked onto her soft locks) as he allowed her to pull him toward the class. She was several inches shorter than him, but made up for what she lacked in height in spirit. He couldn't help it, he grinned, even though she couldn't see it.  
  
"I'll go and apologize." He sighed.  
  
"Good." Hermione replied and smiled up at him, releasing him when they got up to the edge of the low stone wall that surrounded the plot marked off for Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
******  
  
Harry made good on his word the next time he got a moment alone with his red-haired friend. He would have spoken with Ron right away, but Ron was obviously quite annoyed with him and wouldn't speak to him for the first half of class. In fact, Ron had gone as far as to pair up with Luna and Neville to avoid Harry's company. Because they were late getting to class, most students had already formed into groups of three, therefore Harry found himself left with Hermione and none other than Cho "speak of the devil" Chang.  
  
He sighed, rolling his eyes heaven-word as if to ask the fates what sort of sick joke they were playing on him, as he made his way over to the grouping of boxes which housed several small, snake like creatures which Hagrid introduced as pythonasions. They were about 3 feet long, had aqua colored scales, and deceptively cute large black eyes. When the lids on their boxes were lifted off, they flicked out little white, forked tongues and hissed.  
  
"Oh eww...I'm not touching that!" Cho squealed, jumping back and dropping the box which she had just opened. The snake inside gave an angry hiss as it was dumped on the ground and made a beeline for Cho's ankle. Cho, however, jumped behind Hermione, pulling the other girl in front of her, and the snake wound itself around Hermione's shin instead.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione cried, obviously distraught. Harry came out of his silent plea with the fates and turned to look at her. "Harry...get it off! Now!" She was becoming slightly hysterical now. The snake blinked up at Harry with it's beetle black eyes and gave a cute little hiss. Then it began to make it's way higher up Hermione's leg. She let out a little shriek.  
  
"Look, I normally have nothing against snakes but--" Hermione began rationally, but cut herself off, and let out at another distressed cry, only moments later. She stood stock still. Harry arrived in front of her now and found that the snake was almost up to her knee, coiled around Hermione's leg, and attempting to climb higher.  
  
"Er..Harry, it would be best to get it off. Er...these little critters have a somewhat poisonous bite...." Hagrid cut in, coming over to see what all the fuss was about.  
  
"Hippogriffs, Blast-ended Screwts, Therestrials...now poisonous snakes? I knew I should have opted to take advanced Potions instead!" Ron muttered, rather bitterly, as he, Luna, and Neville joined the growing crowd around Hermione. Although Ron was more worried for his friend than about the actual handling of the snakes; he knew that Hagrid meant well. Perhaps he just hadn't had gotten around to telling them how to work with the slimy little beasts yet.  
  
Cho had fallen to her knees off to the side now, Hermione was holding as still as possible, trying not to upset the snake, and Harry was staring at Hagrid as if he were crazy. However, he didn't say anything to his oldest Hogwarts friend, yet, instead he stared down at the snake, and when he opened his mouth, what came out wasn't anything anyone human could understand.  
  
"Let her alone." Harry said with dead calm, giving the snake an intense look. The snake stopped moving and stared back at him. It opened it's mouth and gave a series of short hisses back at him.  
  
"You speak my tongue, boy?"  
  
"I do," Harry replied, his gaze unwavering, "You have no business with my friend. Let go of her."  
  
"What if I refuse?" The snake hissed back, it's beady little eyes glinting in the sun. It began to slither higher.  
  
"Then I'll make short work of you with my wand." Harry hissed back at it, slowly drawing the long stick of dark colored wood out of his robe pocket and pointing it.  
  
Hermione tensed as the snake tightened about her leg, it was now edging up to her thigh, only a few inches below her short skirt hem. Her breaths came in short gasps as she forced herself to stay calm.  
  
"Oh Merlin...." She murmured. Harry glanced up at her, then focused his attention back on the spawn crawling up her leg.  
  
The snake gave Harry a look that clearly showed it doubted the boy was capable of stopping it, then lifted its head.  
  
Harry saw immediately that the snake was poised to strike.  
  
"Stupefy!" He yelled, speaking loudly, and a jet of red light burst from the end of his wand. It hit the snake with a zap reminiscent of lightening striking an old tree, and, with half a hiss through it's teeth, the snake's head dropped back; limp. Hermione screamed.  
  
Harry jumped at the sound, but Hagrid was already in control.  
  
"Don' worry, don' worry, it's stunned now, 'ermione. Er, Harry, if you would just put it in it's box and give it to me...?"  
  
Harry glanced over at the half-giant. "Take it off?" He questioned, looking rather meaningfully at the limp snake's position on Hermione's leg.  
  
"Please Harry!" Hermione begged, and Harry look into her eyes, surprised to see that they were rimmed with tears. She looked a wreck, and she was trembling.  
  
Slowly Harry moved forward and knelt down in front of her. Hermione lifted her skit up a few inches so that the whole snake was visable. She wasn't showing anything she shouldn't show in polite company, but that wasn't to say that Harry wasn't increasingly uncomfortable about how much of her legs were now showing.  
  
Slowly he forced his hands to move up her leg to begin untangling the scaley body which was wrapped around it. Slowly....slowly....Hermione wasn't moving, she was suddenly as still as she had been when the snake was still conscious. Harry was uncomfortably aware of just where his hands were. He forced his eyes to remain on the blueish-green reptile and *not* to stray anywhere else. Why, oh why, did everything that involved Hermione lately have to do with her legs?  
  
Finally he had it uncoiled, and placed back in it's box, and given the box back to Hagrid, who put it in a corner of the stone 'pen', with a sturdy rock on top of the lid.  
  
Hermione gave Harry a trembling look, her knees were knocking together, and if Harry hadn't moved closer to her at just that moment, she would have collapsed onto the ground.  
  
She clutched at the front of Harry's robes with both hands, her whole body shaking. Harry awkwardly put his arms around her and held her, patting her back.  
  
"Er...it's alright. Hagrid took it away...I...er..thought that you didn't have a problem with snakes?" He asked, with all the tact that teenage boys have.  
  
Hermione pulled back and glared at him.  
  
"My Uncle got bitten by a snake on a vacation to Arizona during a trip to America one summer. It nearly killed him. I don't have a problem with snakes as long as they aren't crawling up my legs and trying to do the same thing to me!" She cried angrily. "And I seem to recall a certain dark- haired wizard who wasn't too fond of being chased by a large snake either, a few years ago!" She added. Harry glared a little himself.  
  
"That's different. This was just a little garden snake. We have them in Muggle London, for Merlin's sake. And the snake that chased me," he said emphatically, "was a Basilisk! It's completely different!"  
  
"If it had bitten you, you would have died! This thing was poisonous, Harry! Even if I did like snakes I don't imagine that a slow painful death would be all that welcoming!" Hermione shouted back, pulling out of his arms completely and giving him an indignant stare at his blatent understandment.  
  
"If that thing had bitten me, I wouldn't have had a chance to realize I was dead-- I wouldn't have had a head! And, for your information, I know exactly what it feels like to have poison flowing through my veins, Hermione, because you know what, it did bite me! And it hurt like hell!!" Harry yelled back.  
  
"Then maybe you will understand a little of her distress in this situation?" A new voice interjected. It was Luna. She wore her normal dreamy look, but her eyes were startlingly intense. She looked annoyed. Ron was standing just behind her, looking like he had something of his own to say.  
  
Harry jerked his head to look at her, startled, and suddenly realized that they were still in the middle of class. Which, he realized belatedly, had all just witnessed his and Hermione's little quarrel; which he had been responsible for. He flushed bright red.  
  
"Sorry, Hermione." He mumbled, "You're right. I'm being a prat."  
  
"That's alright, Harry." was her soft reply, and Harry raised his head to look at her. She gave him a little smile.  
  
"Forgive me?" He asked quietly, giving her a small smile of his own.  
  
"You did rescue me after all, I suppose that a little lenience is in order." Hermione said, and face dissolved into a full smile.  
  
"Er....do yeh mind if we get back to the lesson? I know that this was a bit traumatic for 'ermione here, you can just watch if yeh like, but I really should teach yeh lot something. Professor Dumbledor hired me for a reason." Hagrid interrupted then, and both Gryffindor's flushed again.  
  
"Um, yes, let's get back to class. Hagrid, if you wouldn't mind telling us how to control those slimy little...um...creatures, then I wouldn't mind working with them again." Hermione announced bravely. Harry just shook his head.  
  
"Er, Ron?" Harry called, as the rest of the class began to make their way back to their boxes, several of them nervously taking their wands out of their robes as they drew nearer. He stopped and turned to face his raven- haired friend.  
  
"That was right fancy bit of work you did there, Harry," Ron commented, before Harry could say anything. Harry grinned in spite of himself.  
  
"Thanks. I really wasn't as calm as I looked though. If I had waited a second too long before casting that spell..." He trailed off.  
  
"Hermione would never forgive you." Ron grinned back. "Don't worry about your little spat back there, girls are prone to things like that."  
  
"I was being a prat." Harry repeated, frowning.  
  
"Yeah, you were." Ron agreed, seriously. "What was up with that?"  
  
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "Lately everything Hermione says sets me off. Not that I seem to have better luck when I speak to her."  
  
Ron gave him a long look before answering. "I wouldn't worry about it, mate. These things tend to take care of themselves with time."  
  
"But what I don't understand is why Hermione was so worked up over that little snake. I mean, it wasn't anything really bad, was it?" Harry asked.  
  
"Those were Pythonasions, Harry. They're among the more dangerous types of snakes; don't let their small size distract you. Some sort of distant cousin of the Pythons you have in the Muggle world." Ron informed him instantly.  
  
Harry blinked at him. "And how do you know that? I find it hard to believe that you spend your free time in the library looking up dangerous creatures and their worldly relations."  
  
"Luna told me when the two of you were having that contest of seeing who could bust who's eardrums first." Ron replied.  
  
Harry nodded, feeling a slight flush creep up his cheeks at that reminder, then paused for a moment. Clearing his throat he looked Ron in the eye.  
  
"I'm sorry about snapping at you before. I--"  
  
Ron cut him off, "Water under the bridge Harry. I shouldn't have brought it up."  
  
Harry grinned. "So are we ok now?"  
  
"Right as rain." He paused looking suddenly embarassed at what he had just said. "Er...my mum always says that." His ears flushed a light pink and Harry laughed.  
  
"Shall we get back to the terrors of the Amazon then?" Harry asked.  
  
Ron sighed. He knew that getting out of the snake session was too good to be true. Unfortunately, if there was anything Ron hated more than, or at least as much as, spiders, it was snakes. He allowed himself a little shiver, then turned and followed his Harry back across the clearing to the rest of their classmates. 


	6. KISSING

I Love You, Don't Touch Me!  
  
Chapter 6: K-I-S-S-I-N-G....  
  
Rating: PG-13 (maybe higher)  
  
Several weeks passed and gradually things settled into a regular routine for all the students at Hogwarts. In just under a week it was going to be Halloween, and all were looking forward to the usual feast that would take place on the 31st; that coming Friday.  
  
Harry had managed to treat Hermione like a casual friend, even though it was slowy becoming harder and harder to do so. In order to counter this, Harry spent more and more time avoiding Hermione, and his aquaintance with her was almost bordering on 'cold'. It wasn't that he meant to act that way towards her, the only trouble was, every time they were around each other, Harry found himself unable to concentrate, so he would cut their conversations short and hurry away to try and regain control of his spinning emotions.  
  
These days he was becoming very distracted and others were beginning to wonder. Like today. It wasn't as if Harry normally paid rapt attention in classes, but even Hermione was starting to notice his short attention span. She called him on it during their transfiguration class, the last class of the day on Wednesday.  
  
Professor McGonagall had told the class turn stones into small lizards, and Harry's stone had simply sprouted legs and a tail and gone scuttling across the desk. As it encountered Hermione's small blue and orange lizard it rammed right into it, and the poor creature let out a tiny hiss with it's pink tongue and went summersalting off the table and into Hermione's lap. She lept up with a cry.  
  
"Harry! What are you doing?"  
  
Harry jerked his thoughts back to the task at hand, and retrived the heavey reptile from his friend's robes.  
  
"Er, sorry Hermione."  
  
"Honestly, where is your head today Harry? You'd better fix your lizard or you're going to get into trouble....too late."  
  
Professor McGonagall was heading their way, inspecting the work of the students two tables in front of them. Harry raised his wand, but stared at his poor rock's squirming legs helplessly. His mind had gone blank and he couldn't remember the spell he needed.  
  
"Here, let me." Hermione hissed in his ear, and with a wave of her wand and a puff of blue smoke, Harry's rock gave a 'pop' and turned into a tiny green and black lizard, just as their teacher turned to face them. Hermione gave a flick of her wrist and her wand slipped through her fingers and down the sleave of her robes. Harry hastliy lifted his own wand and raised it over his lizard, who blinked its tiny black eyes curiously up at him.  
  
"Well done Granger. You too, Potter. Carry on." and with that she moved on to check Ron and Neville's work.  
  
Ron had a halfling. His poor lizard had the shape of the commen reptile, but it's back end, from waist to tip of tail, was still solid stone. The yellow and purple front was earnestly lifting it's front feet and putting them down in the same spot, as it's rear was too heavy for it to go forward. Neville still had a stone sitting in front of him, albeit a scoarched one from several botched attempts at the same un-working spell. Professor McGonagall shook her head at them and sighed as she took in Neville's work.  
  
"Thanks 'Mione." Harry whispered as he glanced over his shoulder at their Professor. Because of this, he missed Hermione's sudden jerking up of her head to look at him, her expression one of startlment and just a hint of a blush. By the time he turned back to her seconds later, she had nutralized her face and was cradling her lizard in her palms, letting it crawl over her fingers.  
  
"No problem, Harry." She murmered as she kept her eyes on her little pet.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After class finished, and the students were filing out, Ron caught Harry's arm.  
  
"Remember that we have Quidditch practice tonight, we're playing Slytherin tomorrow."  
  
Harry nodded, then turned to Hermione as she made to brush past them in the flow of students.  
  
"Hermione, you're coming to watch, right?"  
  
She turned to him, and gave him an indignant look. "Harry Potter, have I ever missed one of your and Ron's Quidditch matches since the beginning of our time here?"  
  
"So you're coming then?" Ron quiped cheekily and Hermione glared at him.  
  
"Of course I am Weasley." she shot back, smacking him on the shoulder and giving him a look that only girls can give. One that said 'you're being annoying on purpose and it's working so you'd better watch out later because I'm not one who doesn't get even'. Ron raised his hands in mock surrender.  
  
"See you there then." Harry called over his shoulder and walked past her, soon swept away in the crowd. Ron followed him and Hermione stood still, watching her friends hurry away for their practice, not noticing as the other students forked around her in two lines as they hurried down the hall.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Harry was so distant lately. She noticed that the classrom had emptied now and Professor McGonagall was gathering her books together. Hermione quickly entered the hallway and hurried toward her dorm, her face unable to work the sad frown off her lips.  
  
She hardly noticed that the hall was deserted and certainly wasn't looking out for the broad chest which she ran into as she turned the the corner before the hall in which the entrance hung. She fell back with a startled cry, her bookbag falling to the floor and her things scattering across the tiles. She, however, didn't fall. On the contrary, a pair of strong arms were holding onto hers and preventing her from following her bag in suit.  
  
"Oh! I'm so sorr--!" Hermione cried out, her eyes, having closed on instinct from the inpact, flying open when she failed to crash onto the stone floor.  
  
"Nice to see you too, Granger." A cold voice grinned down at her, the grey eyes of it's owner flashing as blond hair fell into them. Draco Malfoy had a hold of her arms, just abover her wrists, and he wasn't letting go.  
  
"Let me go, Malfoy." Hermione said slowly, struggling to pull herself out of his grip. He only held on tighter, pushing her into the shadow cast by one of the flickering torches.  
  
"Oh, I don't think so." Draco said smoothly, still smiling down at her, as he backed her up against a wall and stepped closer to her.  
  
Hermione stared up at him with wide eyes. This hall was empty, no classrooms or offices, no portraits on the walls, not even a hanging tapestry. There were 3 scattered torches which lit the corridor, and beceause of the lack of windows, it was as dark as night.  
  
"Let me go." She said again, her voice trembling a little.  
  
"Not until I have a little fun, first." The taller boy said as he lowered his head so that his face was only inches from hers. "Can't let Potter have all the kicks with a little mudblood like you, now can I?" he asked softly, his belt buckle pressing against the thin fabric of her bloose and cutting into her stomach.  
  
Hermione wished she had worn her sweater today. More so, however, she wished that there was no practice today, or that one of her friends would come bursting around the corner from their common room and make Malfoy go away. But that wasn't likely to happen as classes had just let out and there was more than two hours until dinner; the Gryffindor's would likely be laying around their dorm rooms or lounge and relaxing until supper. They wouldn't be coming out to the library or anywhere else to do homework until that evening.  
  
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Hermione whispered, finding that her voice had gone strangely horse. It must be the fact that he was so close to her, his handsome face only inches from her own, and his eyes glinting malice. It wasn't a look that a lover would give to his beloved under normal circomstances, given a position such as this, but rather a preditory look of one who was merely toying with his prey. Hermione swallowed nervously.  
  
"I was merely taking a walk before dinner, Granger, and imagine my surprise when who should I find but a poor little Gryffindor all alone in the hallway. I guess you think you're brave to be out here all by yourself...." he trailed off, still speaking in the same soft voice, sending shivers down Hermione's back.  
  
Obviously he didn't know that Gryffindor Tower was just around the bend, but then, Hermione should have known that, the other houses didn't normally know where the entrances to houses not their own were. In fact, the only other house of which she knew the entrance, was, ironically, Slytherin, and that was thanks to a little polyjuice insident from her second year, yet even then she wasn't positive because Harry and Ron had been the ones to find it and she was relying on secondhand information.  
  
Harry! Hermione thought wildly, suddenly feeling a wave of fear wash over her. She tried to squash it, this was only Malfoy, she reasoned. Sure he was the son of one of the most evil men in the wizarding world, but-- wait, there was no 'but' in context like this. Draco Malfoy had kept his distance over the last few years, not harrassing her as much as probably would have liked, but that was because Hermione was always around other people, more specifically, Ron and Harry.  
  
"What do you mean 'have all the kicks'?" She questioned, honestly confused.  
  
Draco sneered down at her, "As if you havn't noticed. What about that incident in Care of Magical Creatures a few weeks ago? Admit it, you liked it when he copped a feel up your leg!" His own hand now strayed to her left theigh and slid suggestively up her bare skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in it's wake.  
  
Hermione's body gave an involentary shiver and Malfoy withdrew his hand from it's position a few inches under her skirt; not quite high enough to be causing real trouble, but enough to make Hermione very nervous, and smirked. She tried to pull away but Malfoy had grabbed her wrist again.  
  
"How far have you gone, mudblood? Let him into your room yet? Or do you prefer to take him in the Head Lounge instead?" He asked crudely, causing Hermione to blush as she let out an indignant gasp.  
  
"How dare you!" She cried, twisting in his arms, "Harry and I-- we never-- he barely talks to me these days, how can you think-- and what business is it of yours anyway?!" She stopped when she realized that he was laughing at her, a cold, cruel laugh only a Malfoy could do. She blushed harder, an angry flush at his crude joke at her behalf.  
  
"Good." He said abruptly, stopping his laughter in favor of suddenly pulling her against him, pinning her agianst the wall with his own body. "Then I can have the first taste."  
  
With that Hermione found herself crushed against Draco's chest, his one arm holding the small of her back, and the other now holding her right wrist so that she couldn't strike him. As if she could, she was in too much of a shock from the fact that his lips were pressed against her own, cool as ice. She froze, unable to move away. She didn't notice the footsteps that came around the corner that she, too, had passed only minutes ago, nor when they stopped in front of them. But no one could mistake the shocked and disgusted voice that sliced through the air moments later.  
  
"Hot Damn, Malfoy! Do that around your own House!"  
  
Draco pulled back with a start, and Hermione gasped for air as Malfoy ripped his lips off hers.  
  
"Oh--"  
  
Draco stepped away from her and turned to face the obviously grossed out Gryffindor boy standing behind him.  
  
Hermione couldn't blame the boy for being disgusted. Who wouldn't be if he caught a Slytherin making out in the hallway just outside of his dorm? She wasn't any more pleased to be the object of the make-out herself. In fact, she was ready to hug the boy who had interrupted them, so thankful was she for his timely arrival. She pushed her way under Draco's arm and out into the flickering toarchlight, nearly-tearful praise on her lips. She stopped dead when she saw the look on the boy's face.  
  
"Hermione?" he gasped in a strangled voice, his eyes wide with shock.  
  
"Harry--" She began, wanting to both run into his arms and have him lead her away to the Tower, and the safety of their common room, and hex Malfoy into the wall now that she had her arms free to grab her wand. Harry, however, was backing away, his eyes narrowed with surprise and anger, and his hands held palms up as raised his arms in a gesture of stopping her forthcoming speech.  
  
"Wow. Hermione. I...didn't know...." He trailed off, a startled look on his face as he tried to form words to respond to what he had just seen: one of his best friends, the girl he had been struggling with strange feelings for for the last few months, making out with his worst enemy.  
  
"No--" He cut her off when she opened her mouth again and took another step toward him, glancing back at Malfoy who was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and a small smile tugging at his lips. "I don't want to hear it. I just came back because I forgot my glove....Angelina sent me back for it...." He was slowly backing down the hall towards the corner, on the otherside of which hung their portrait.  
  
Hermione watched as he reached the end of the hall, and turned his back on them, hurrying around the corner. A slighty muffled sound floated back to them as Harry hissed the password at the Fat Lady, and the swish that followed signified that he had entered the common room. He was obviously taking pains not to reveal their password to Malfoy .  
  
Hermione stared after him, tears filling her eyes, and she blinked hastily to keep them from falling. She whirling around and advanced on Malfoy, her wand in slipping down her sleave and into her hand.  
  
"How dare you?" She asked, her throat constricted with a mixture of shock and grief, the tears spilling down her cheeks anyway. Draco merely glanced at her.  
  
"You're a good kisser, Granger, who would have guessed?" he mused as he smirked at her, hardly seeming bothered by her brandished wand and angry, now tear-streaked, face.  
  
There was a clatter and Harry appeared around the corner cluthing his brown, leather, Quidditch glove in his already gloved left hand. He strode quickly past them, not seeming to notice Hermione or her drawn wand, and soon disappeared around the next corner.  
  
Hermione stared after him. He had gone right past her without even looking at her. She had looked at him though, and seen the angry red patches on his defined cheekbones, and his emerald eyes flashing in fury. She had only seen that look a few times before, and they all involved Harry when he was talking about Voldermort killing his parents; the times when Harry spoke Wormtail and his involvment in their deaths. These times always involved Harry's grief and anger at being robbed of a happy childhood. She knew that look: betrayal.  
  
"Why, Malfoy?" She hissed at him, ignoring the tears that rolled down her cheeks.  
  
"Maybe I just like you, Granger." Malfoy replied with the same smooth tone he had used earlier.  
  
"Like hell you do, you bastard." Hermione shot back bitterly, and Draco's eyes narrowed. "You just wanted someting that you could never have. You're jealous of Harry and you wanted to hurt him. Well you can rest easy now, you have."  
  
Thankfully, Hermione was saved Draco's retort because at that moment Professor McGonagall came around the same corner that Harry had stomped around, and Draco shoved his half-drawn wand back into his robes.  
  
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, what is going on here?" She demanded coldly, sweeping down the hall toward them.  
  
"Nothing, Professor." Draco responded in an equally cool voice, and pushed past them both, soon disappearing around the corner. Hermione stared after him, suddenly hating that corner and all the grief it had caused her in the last 10 minutes. She brushed her hair back, and wiped her face, before turning back to face her head of house.  
  
"Are you alright, Miss Granger?" Mcgonagall asked crisply. She too, had watched the Slytherin's hasty exit with narrowed eyes. "What was Malfoy doing in a corridor so far from his own common room?"  
  
Hermione ducked her head and knelt to gather her supplies off the floor. "I don't know Professor, I ran into him when I was heading back to the dorm, and dropped my bag." She descretly slipped her wand back into her robes before the Professor could notice she had it out and possibly deduct points from her own house.  
  
Professor McGonagall was practically as strict as Snape when it came to magic in the halls and Hermione didn't think even her status as Head Girl would save her from a catastrophy like that. McGonagall would likely give her a lecture for 'knowing better' and then deduct points anyway.  
  
"Typical Slytherin, no manners what-so-ever." was all the stern woman said, as Hermine gathered the last of her things together and stood up. "Got everything?"  
  
"Yes, Professor."  
  
"Then I suggest you get back to your room and put your things away before supper. I know I don't have to implore you to start your homework before then, but if you would please remind your two companions, Misters Potter and Weasley, to get a crack on their's, it would be much appreciated. I don't think those two have gotten as far as they have in school if not for you." She gave Hermione a thin smile.  
  
Hermione gave a weak one back.  
  
"Speaking of Potter, he came tearing down the hall just as I was returning to the Tower. He seemed rather upset. As Mr. Malfoy was found near-by, am I correct to assume that they had a run-in of sorts?"  
  
Hermione choked at this comment and Professor McGonagall looked at her strangely.  
  
"Yes, Professor."  
  
"No rules broken, were there? No hexes cast in my halls?" She questioned, watching Hermione's eyes closely.  
  
"No, Professor."  
  
"Are you sure you're alright, Miss Granger?"  
  
"Yes, Professor, I'm fine. I really should get a start on my Potions essay." And with that Hermione croaked out the passward to the Tower and darted inside, leaving Professor McGonagall to stare after her and wonder just what was really going on with her Head Girl. 


	7. Quidditch Questions

***OotP SPOILERS*** Not much, but enough. You have been warned.  
  
I Love You, Don't Touch Me!  
  
Chapter 7: Quidditch Questions  
  
PG-13 (maybe higher)  
  
Harry marched out to the Quidditch pitch, jumped astride his Firebolt, and kicked off from the ground so hard chunks of turf went flying into the air. He shot into the sky so fast he nearly knocked Ron, who was gliding over to greet him and ask what had taken him so long, off his broom. Ron swerved to the side, doing a loop, and coming to an upright position again with a startled look on his face.  
  
Harry angled his broom to a near vertical position and streaked though the air until he was a good hundred feet above the ground. He let his anger carry his momentum upwards until he finally leveled off to tear through the air around the perimeter of the pitch at speed that would have got him a ticket for dangerous driving had he been operating a muggle vehicle, and had the Dursleys actually let him have a go at getting his licence.  
  
He just couldn't believe what he had seen. He made completed a lap and commenced zooming off for another. Hermione and...and Malfoy! Kissing! Just outside the tower! Another lap. What were they thinking? What was she thinking? Malfoy being the smooth git that he was leaning against the wall all cool a suave, acting like Slytherins and Gryffindor's made out in the halls all the time. Who knew, after what he'd seen, he'd believe anything, even that! Anther lap, faster this time, the other Gryffindor players below Harry now taking on the appearance of red and gold blurs.  
  
Even after all the hints he had been dropping, accidently-on-purpose, like calling Hermione "'Mione" in Transfiguration that afternoon. Harry was especially proud of that nickname, he thought it sounded cute and fit Hermione's personality; that had been the first time that he had had the guts to call it to her face, even if he had avoided looking at said face for fear of what her reaction to that step of intimacy might be. Another lap--  
  
"HARRY!!"  
  
Harry yanked the front of his broom upwards to halt the sudden crash course it nearly had with a tall lanky red-head who had suddenly popped up hovering right in front of him.  
  
"Merlin Ron! I nearly knocked you off your broom!" Harry shouted, breathing hard with his face slightly red.  
  
Ron gave him a pointed look. "That would make twice in the last 10 minutes." he commented dryly.  
  
Harry looked away, feeling slightly dizzy from his five laps around the stadium.  
  
"Did something happen in the castle, Harry? Because somehow I don't think that flying blindly around the pitch, fifty feet higher than game regulation standards, and moving so quickly that you wouldn't notice the snitch if it grew to the size of Malfoy's bloated ego and flashed red and blue, is really going to help you in tomorrow's game!" Ron said with exasperation.  
  
Harry turned a dark look on his friend, and the wrath in his eyes caused Ron to back up a few feet. Harry looked murderous.  
  
"Malfoy," he hissed, "If I get within socking distance of his slimey mug believe you me, I won't leave anything for the stupid girls to swoon over!"  
  
"Er....did he do something? Again, I mean?" Ron was looking at him curiously. Sure Malfoy made it a point to go out of his way annoy and torment Harry, Hermione and himself, but what could he have done to get Harry this riled up?  
  
"Do anything? Do anything?" Harry raged, his eyes beginning to roll wildly.  
  
"Yeah, as in insult my parent's financial status, threaten your life, call Hermione a 'mudblood' again. Something along those lines..." Ron said slowly, still eyeing Harry like a time bomb about to go off.  
  
"Call Hermione a 'mudblood'?" Harry sputtered, "It's probably his new pet name for her!"  
  
"Look out!" a new voice cut into Harry's rant, and both boys turned to see a stray bludger streaking towards them. Harry pulled back, then, without warning, flicked the rear end of his broom hard at the offending black ball, and sent it spinning wildly in the other direction. One of the team chasers caught up to it and smacked it in anther direction. Ron was staring at him strangely when Harry completed his spin and faced him again.  
  
"Look, I may have missed something here mate. Care to elaborate slightly on just what you meant by that last statement and the accompaniment of slamming that bludger out of orbit and back down to earth?" Ron asked, and Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm down.  
  
"I saw them kissing, alright? I went back to get my glove, and when I came around the corner there they were...he had her up against the wall with his hands all over her!"  
  
Ron's jaw dropped. "Our Hermione? The one who professed complete and utter loathing of all things Malfoy? Bookworm with bushy hair?"  
  
"Her hair's not bushy anymore Ron!" Harry snapped. "Maybe that's why she came back looking so hot this year! Maybe they've been having a secret fling all summer! And she gave me that gift card! She was probably trying to butter me up; soften the blow for when she told me that they two of them were an item!"  
"Harry! Get a hold of yourself, mate! I'm sure it wasn't what you thought!" Ron said desperately. This wasn't the sort of conversation that he wanted to be having with his best mate at the moment.  
  
"Trust me Ron, they were practically joined at the hips and his tongue was so far down her throat that I'm surprised he didn't choke her!" Harry added bitterly.  
  
"Oi! Potter! Weasley! Any time you feel like joining us, we do have a game tomorrow and it'll be your heads if we loose to Slytherin! Honestly, Seeker and Keeper are two of the most important jobs on the team!" Angelina shouted up at them from her place ten feet below them where she was flying back and forth in an air-born form of pacing. The rest of the team was assembled in a line five feet below her and from the looks of it she was in the middle of giving a strategy talk.  
  
"Er...coming Angelina!" Ron called with a wave. Then he gave Harry a pointed look. "We'll finish this discussion later."  
  
Harry didn't say anything, but instead turned his broom and flew down to get into the line-up with the others. Ron followed him, and when they were both hovering next to the rest of their teammates Angelina commenced her pre-game talk, although Ron could tell that Harry's mind was likely concentrating more on ways to knock Malfoy off his broom the following evening than listening to their captain's ideas on game play.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Hermione crossed the lounge quickly, keeping her head down, and hugging her book-bag to her chest. She hurried up the stairs and down the long hallway to her private room. Once inside she slammed the door, muttered a locking charm, threw her bag on her desk chair and then collapsed onto her queen-sized four-poster. For a few moments she just lay on her face, her arms and legs spread-eagle, not moving, but not crying either. She just lay....stunned.  
  
She couldn't believe that Malfoy had had the nerve to kiss her, and certainly couldn't begin to contemplate his reasons for doing so...but Harry-- Harry had taken one look and assumed the worst! Her Harry, the one who had told her often enough that if Malfoy ever laid a hand on her he would personally rearrange his face. Harry hadn't even waited for her to explain what had happened. Did he actually think that she wanted to kiss his worst enemy?  
  
The tears that had coursed down her face in her anger at Malfoy, and hastily blinked back in order to avoid a scene with her head-of-house, now came freely again. Hermione flicked her wand at the deep blue velvet hangings around her bed and the gold ties magically loosed themselves, encasing her in darkness. She hugged one of her overstuffed feather pillows to her chest as she curled into a fetal position around it and cried. Wrenching sobs that hurt her chest as she struggled to contain them. Why wouldn't he believe her? WHY?  
  
* * * * * *  
Outside in the hallway, a concerned red-haired young girl stood staring at an oak door. From the inside of the door's room came the faint sounds of heartbreak. The girl slowly lifted a slender hand, intending to knock, but then thought better of it and turned and walked on by. She would go and ask Ron and Harry what had happened, if Hermione was upset, they would be the first to know why.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ron had just made a spectacular save, knocking the Quaffle half a mile down the pitch and nearly taking off one of the beater's heads. Angelina cheered and Harry whooshed past him with a grin on his face. The practice had been going for a good hour and forty-five minutes since his and Harry's little 'talk', and the crisp October air had apparently had the affect of giving the team extra energy. Ron grinned back as his friend flew on past. He hoped that Harry had had a chance to calm down some; in any event, he looked happier.  
  
Ginny made her way up into the stands. The long rows of seats were completely empty except for a lone figure sitting in the right, top-most corner. The girl had long blond hair, half of it pulled up into a looped ponytail, and her blue and silver Ravenclaw scarf was wrapped snugly around her throat twice, the remaining ends flung back over the shoulders of her black cloak. She was watching the Quidditch players intently.  
  
"Um...hello! Good practice so far?" Ginny called over to the girl, and she looked up. It was Luna Lovegood.  
  
"Hello Virginia. Quite satisfactory this evening, although around the beginning Harry appeared to have had too much caffeine and spent 10 minutes ringing the pitch at incredible speeds."  
  
There was another loud sound of cheering from the pitch and Ginny glanced at the players.  
  
"Ronald has been playing very well today." Luna commented, without talking her eyes off the game, "I'm sure that Gryffindor will win tomorrow's match. I'm glad, I don't much care for Slytherin's underhanded tactics."  
  
Ginny nodded, and took a seat next to Luna. She had always liked her, strange as she may appear, but it was the girl's embrace of life, and ability to hold to her ...er... uniqueness, in the face of such constant teasing that had convinced Ginny she was worthy to have as a friend. She was well worthy of her house as well, as, ever since their encounter in the Department of Mysteries, Luna continued to surprise Ginny with her smarts. Other people may not have shared the same opinion as Ginny, due to Luna's rather interesting way of phrasing things, but Ginny knew. Secretly she was glad that she was privileged to be in the same year as "Looney" Luna Lovegood.  
  
There was the sound of a whistle and Ginny and Luna watched as Team Gryffindor gathered into a semi-circle for a few moments, waiting on words from their captain, then dispersed and flew down to the ground.  
  
"I guess it's over." Ginny said off-handedly, "That's good, I didn't want to wait too long to talk to Ron."  
  
Luna turned to face her with her common dreamy smile firmly in place. "Yes, go and speak with him." With that she rose gracefully and swept down the row of seats, disappearing into the door in the side of the tent-like stand towers.  
  
Ginny stared after her. Sure Luna was a great and intelligent person, but sometimes Ginny had to agree with Ron, she made some weird comments. Spotting Ron's red head flash in the fading sunlight as he landed on the pitch, Ginny quickly scrambled to her feet and followed Luna down the steps to the ground. She would wait for Ron and Harry outside the changing rooms.  
  
A few minutes later Ginny had stationed herself cross-legged at the base of a tree outside the small building just off the pitch. Sometimes she wished that she was still on the team, like she had been in her fourth year. She still could barely believe that she was a sixth year student and only had one more year left until she graduated from Hogwarts. Her future musings were cut short by a burst of noise from the change rooms as the door was flung open and two people walked out.  
  
"Don't worry about the spots, O'Connell, I'm sure they don't last longer than a couple of days!" Ron was shouting over his shoulder, Harry, at his side, was doubled over with laughter. There was a response shouted after them, but the door slammed closed on it and Ginny never heard exactly what the spotted party said.  
  
"Oh, hey Ginny, what're you doing out here? Dinner starts soon." Ron said with surprise, noting her under the tree.  
  
"I was waiting for you." she retorted, giving him a 'boy's are so stupid' look as she got to her feet.  
  
"Did you watch the practice at all?" Harry asked as she fell into step next him, Ron on his right side.  
  
"Just the last few minutes. I sat with Luna." Ginny replied. At that Ron's head came up.  
  
"Luna? So that's who it was? I saw someone up in the stands, but they were sitting so far back....why was she there anyways? She's a Ravenclaw!"  
  
Ginny glanced at her brother. She had a feeling that she knew what Luna had been doing, but she held her tongue, she had more important things to discuss with her brother at the moment.  
"I needed to ask you guys something," she began, half avoiding they boys' eyes, "I was in the Tower just a little while ago and Hermione had locked herself in her room. She was crying like there was no tomorrow! Do you guys know what happened?"  
  
Immediately she noticed Harry's back stiffen and Ron's quick glance in his friend's direction.  
  
"Well?" Ginny prompted. They were hiding something from her, she could tell.  
  
"It's probably nothing. Girl's are emotional, you figure it out." Harry said cooly, and began to walk faster, his long strides soon leaving her behind. Ron fell back to walk with her.  
  
"Ron?" Ginny questioned her brother softly.  
  
"They had a misunderstanding, I'm sure it's really nothing." Ron said uncomfortably, his hands shoved in his pockets and his ears slightly red, as they always were when he wasn't telling the whole truth about something.  
  
"Right, I'm sure I'm just over-reacting." Ginny echoed as they went up the steps at the front of the castle and then into the Great Hall. The words felt hollow on her lips and she knew that it wasn't true.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Harry had that angry look in his eyes all through dinner. Most people knew to stay away form him when he looked like that but Ginny just had to know. She knew that whatever 'misunderstanding' Ron was talking about it, it was much more important than either of them was letting on. Ginny followed Harry out of the Hall after he had finished eating determined to have words with him  
  
Hermione didn't come down to dinner that night, in fact, she didn't leave her room all evening, not even to go to the library. Ron caught Lavender Brown's arm as she exited the girl's staircase that evening and questioned her on Hermione's status of well-being.  
  
"Hermione?" she had asked, slightly confused, "I really don't know. She's been in her room all night. A couple of the girls and I were going to go over our essays for Potions a little while ago, but she had charmed her door six ways from Sunday and told us to go get help from someone else!"  
  
Ron had thanked her and then retired to his room to think a bit. Dean was sitting at his desk working on the same essay Lavender had been complaining about, and Seamus had been leaving as Ron had come in, on his way to the library with a thick book to try and calm Neville down.  
  
"Seems to think that Snape will turn him into a date for Trevor if he fails another essay!" Seamus laughed over his shoulder as he walked down the hall.  
  
Ron laughed half-heartedly with him, but quickly got into his bed, drew the curtains, and whispered a soft Lumus so that his wand cast an eerie glow around the velvet covered 'cave'. Then he lay back against his pillows and stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out just what had really happened that afternoon. Harry must have seen things wrong! He just must have! Hermione would never betray them that way. With these not-so- comforting thoughts Ron fell into a fitful sleep. 


	8. Midnight's the Time

OotP SPOILERS Not much, but enough. You have been warned.  
  
I Love You, Don't Touch Me!  
  
Chapter 8: Midnight's the time  
  
PG-13 (maybe higher)  
  
Ginny watched as Harry exited the Hall after dinner. He moved quickly and desicively, as if he knew exactly where he was going. Quietly she slipped through the thinning crowds and followed him out, stepping back behind a suit of armar to hide while she waited to see where he was going. She thought she had lost him once, but after two minutes of looking around, she spotted Harry descending the stairs in the main hall, his Firebolt over his shoulder. Harry took a quick look around and then hurried out the front doors of the castle and out into the dark grounds that stretched in front and all around the great stone building; Ginny followed him.  
  
Harry was feeling slightly nervous as he strood quickly across the grounds. He knew that students weren't supposed to go flying after dark, it was against the rules not to mention the fact that it was dangerous. He glanced behind him as he neared the lake. Was someone following him? There was nothing in the rules about going for a walk on the grounds at night, as long as it was before cufew, and, in his case, that Snape didn't catch him. Harry looked around again as he checked his watch: seven-fifteen. Still plenty of time. He mounted his broom and looked over his shoulder once more; somehow he was sure that there was someone out there besides him. A quick search of the grounds about him revealed no one, so he kicked off and soared up into the night sky.  
  
Ginny stared up after Harry's darkening shadow against three-quarter moon as he rose higher and higher into the night. How was she supposed to talk to him now? Then a sudden thought sparked her memory: the equipment shed! She could go and borrow a school broom! Quickly she turned and hurried back toward the castle.  
  
Hermione sighed, exausted, as she sat up on her bed. Her weary gaze roamed the room and stopped to rest on her book-bag. She sighed again, just because Harry was being a complete and totall pillock didnt mean that she could neglect her homework. Anyway, who cared what he thought about her? It wasn't as if they were dating! What right did he have to judge her?  
Hermione jumped off the bed and made her way across the room to her desk. She opened her bag, pulled out her neatly rolled essay parchment, and unrolled it on her desk. She located a quill and ink bottle and began to pen the last few paragraphs of her essay, sef-righteous anger coursing through her veins.  
A red flash streaked past her window and Hermione blinked. She had only seen the movement out of the corner of her eye. Hurrying to the window and looking out, she saw nothing. She returned to her desk trying to clear her mind, damn Harry Potter for making her unable to concentrate! It was probably someone's owl or something.  
  
Ginny crept up to the small shed which housed the school brooms. Nervously she whispered "Alohamora!" and the door creaked open and she stepped inside. The school brooms were lined neatly against the wall and the handle polishes and 'pruning' clippers were stacked on shelves next to them. Ginny glanced over her shoulder, somehow sure that a teacher was going to appear behind her the second she turned around.  
Her footsteps echoed oddly off the walls as she made her to the back of the small room and selected a Cloud Burst 600 before hurrying back outside and closing the door behind her. One more check to see that no one was around, and Ginny settled herself into a comfortable side-saddle position and kicked off. The wind rushed past her, tossing her hair, but Ginny kept her eyes firmly open, she didn't want to miss Harry by mistake.  
It was only a couple of minutes later, after a quick loop around the castle, she was afraid to fly near the building longer than nescessary, for fear that she might be seen, that she spotted him; he was hovering over the far end of the lake. She paused, not sure of how to approach him. Harry knew that she and Hermione were close, and Ginny knew that Harry wasn't exactly in the mood to be talking to someone who wanted to defend Hermione to him, even if she wasn't exactly sure what she was defending her about. There was something that Harry wasn't telling her and she was determined to find out what.  
  
Harry was moving slowly across the sky, nearly out of view of the castle now, gradually making his way toward the cliff overlooking the castle and the lake, where he had sat to think often over the years. Just before he touched down he noticed that someone was behind him. His feet made a soft thud in the dust as he glided to a stop, and Harry dismounted. He walked over to the log that he had sat on so many times and presented his back to whoever it was that had been following him. Moments later there was another soft thud, and the light scraping of another broom as its rider dismounted and made their way toward him.  
  
"Harry..." she began softly, unsure, and Harry turned. It was Ginny. Great.  
  
"Go away," he returned coldly.  
  
Ginny cautiously made her way toward the log and sat down hesitently on the opposite end. Then, taking a deep breath, she began again.  
  
"Harry, what happened? I know that you know. Why won't you tell me? Maybe I can help?"  
  
Harry spun around with a glare. Ginny was watching him anxiously, her eyes wide and her face pale in the moonlight. She drew back slightly when she saw his face.  
  
"Why don't you ask Ron? He knows. Or maybe Hermione? I'm sure that she'd love to have one of her gossipy little girly-girl chats with you!" Harry retorted acidly, and watched Ginny's eyes grow wider. He moved closer to her. "Oh, maybe you could ask Malfoy?"  
  
Ginny eyed Harry as he inched down the log closer and closer with every word. "Malfoy?" she questioned, completely in the dark, "Harry, what are you going on about?"  
  
By now Harry was right next to her and Ginny could see the fire flashing in his eyes. The intenseness in his face was starting to scare her. She raised her arm, placing her hand against his shoulder, trying to push him back, but Harry only scowled darkly and caught her wrist in an iron grip. Ginny let out a half indignant, half terrified gasp and lept to her feet, trying, at the same time, to pull her arm out of Harry's grasp.  
  
"Harry! Let go!" she cried, but Harry rose with her, pulling her close against his chest.  
  
"Do you think that's what she said? When he had her up against the wall?" Harry sneered down at her, hardly noticing what he was doing, hardly registering the brutality of his actions to the smallest Weasley. His grip tightened and Ginny cried out again. Their bodies were now only inches apart. "Do you think she told him to go away? I was there Ginny! I didn't hear any sounds of protest when I was coming up the corridor! She liked it! She wanted it!" Ginny froze as Harry's voice rose with each setence, now a verible shout.  
  
"Liked what? What the hell are you talking about Harry?" Ginny demanded, anger attempting to override her fear, but she never got any further then that in her rant. Harry glared down at her a moment before suddenly grabbing her around the waist with his free arm and bending his head down towards her.  
  
"This!" Harry hissed angrily, and crushed his lips down on hers.  
  
Hermione sighed and lifted her finished essay up to the soft glow of lantern light and gave a satisfied nod. It was nearly eleven-thirty and she had finally finished her History of Magic essay, not to mention her transfiguration homework and a letter home to her parents. Setting her paper back on her desk, Hermone attempted to stretch out her shoulder muscles, then stood and stretched out her arms, with her interlaced fingers, out in front of her. Sitting back down with a deep sigh, she lifted the essay back up and blew gently on it to help the ink dry faster. Then she blew out her lantern, murmered a soft "Lumus," to light her wand, and padded quietly across her dormintory room in her bare feet to her bed. She laid down her wand on the bedspread and slipped on her dressing gown, tying it securly at the waist, then picked up her wand again and made her way into the hall and towards the bathrooms to wash up for bed.  
  
Ten minutes later Hermione had brushed her teeth, pulled a comb through her hair, and washed her face, she opened the door to go back out into the dimly lit hall, exausted by the days events, and immediately slammed into another body. The girl in the hall drew back with a startled apology, and lifted her hood-covered head to look at Hermione.  
Hermione let out a gasp of her own, trying to stand as her leg, which had been oddly throbbing all evening, exploded into protest again.  
  
"Hermione? Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking! I--"  
  
Hermione lifted her own head. That voice was familiar. "Ginny?"  
  
Ginny's face was flushed and she looked as though she had just been outside, what with her cloak on and her hood pulled up over her hair. Ginny ducked her head down again and attempted to pass by Hermione into the baths. Hermione stepped back to let her friend in, but didn't leave. Ginny turned around at the sound of the door closing with a soft creak, and found Hermione leaning against it, her arms crossed.  
  
"Ok Gin, what's the story? I'm Head Girl and your friend, so you know I have the power to make you talk." Hermione grinned evily, and Ginny allowed herself a small smile before growing serious again.  
  
"Hermione, you know I love you to bits, but take off the house points or whatever because trust me, you don't want to hear what I have to say."  
  
Ginny watched as her friend's face fell a bit, then her eyes narrowed. "Does this have anything to do with Harry?" Ginny avoided her gaze. If there was one thing about Hermione, it was that she cut right to the chase, and Ginny did not want to answer her. She thought back to her coversation with Harry back on the hillside a short while before.  
  
Ginny's eyes widened with shock as she felt Harry's strong arm come around her. There had been a time not too many years ago when she would have simply melted had she been in this situation, but now was not the case; besides, she had Neville and she loved him. She struggled in Harry's embrace and he finally lifted his head, although he didn't release her.  
  
"Harry! You-- You--" Ginny was so shocked she could barely form words.  
  
"I know that you have a crush on me Ginny, since second year; aren't you pleased?" Harry demanded, ignoring her attempts to free herself. Ginny stopped moving and glared up at him.  
  
"Harry James Potter!" she exploded in outrage, "How-- how dare you!" Harry seemed slightly taken aback at these words but he didn't let her go.  
  
"Ginny, don't fight it. We both know it's fate that we be together," he continued smoothly.  
  
SMACK!  
  
Ginny had managed to free her right arm from its position pinned against her side, and had slapped Harry solidly in the face. He released her abruptly, his eyes widening and his own hand slowly rising to touch his cheek where a bruise was already forming. Ginny stepped back a few paces and stared at him in horror.  
  
She had just hit Harry! The Boy-Who-Lived! Her crush of her first four years at Hogwarts! Old habits die hard, as they say, and as much as she loved Neville, a small part of her heart would always care for Harry; he had been her first love after all. She shook her head, he had deserved it. And anyway, it had brought him out of whatever fantasy world he had been living in the last few seconds; Harry was now mirroring her horror as he looked back at her.  
  
"Ginny..." he began, as she observed the red imprint of her small hand slowly fading off his cheek, but when he took a step toward her, Ginny bolted for her broomstick.  
  
"Ginny wait! I'm sorry!" Harry called, desperation evident in his voice. Ginny ignored him, straddling her broom quickly, not taking time for ladylike procedures this time.  
  
She couldn't believe what had just taken place. The boy was obviously barking mad. She would find Hermione and ask her herself what was going on. With that last thought Ginny kicked off the ground hard, just feeling Harry's hand brush her ankel as he jumped forward and tried to hold her back. As she soared up into the night sky Ginny turned to look behind her. Harry was standing there watching her go, but his face was clothed in shadows and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. A moment later he turned back toward his own broom and Ginny zipped off into the darkness. He could catch up to her quickly if he so desired and she wasn't intending to give him that chance.  
  
Ginny walked to the sink and turned on the taps, letting the warm water run over her icy hands, slowly bringing warmth and feeling back into them, as she pondered her answer. She had managed to return her borrowed broom to the shed without any problems; Harry had obviously gone off somewhere to sulk some other such nonsense. Ginny felt a blush rise on her cheeks as she remembered Harry's rough kiss, his dry lips and the anger that had been radiating from his tense body. Her first and likely only kiss with Harry had been anything but the romanic interlude that she had always imagined. Right now she just wanted to go to bed and pretend that nothing had happened. However, Hermione was blocking the door and Ginny knew from experience it wasn't likely that her closest friend, who was one year her elder, was going to move from her position until she got some answers. Ginny turned off the fauscett and and dried her hands on a towel before answering her friend.  
  
"Yes, it's about Harry. I followed him after supper; I wanted to talk to him. I," she paused and looked Hermione straight in the eyes, "I heard you crying earlier, but your door was locked, and I didn't know what to do so I went to find Ron and Harry," she watched as Hermione's eyes became clouded and rushed on, "because I just knew that one of them would know what was happening. I mean, come on, you guys are the inseperable trio of Hogwarts, famous for getting into nearly more trouble than Fred and George combined, and that's saying something!" Ginny was relieved to see a tiny smile work it's way onto Hermione's lips for a fraction of a second.  
  
"What did he tell you?" Hermione asked dully, the smile vanishing as she walked across the tiles and sat down on the edge of the small cot that was nestled in a corner of the room; reserved for those times of the month when a girl just needed to lay down for a minute.  
  
Ginny watched her closely, biting her lip and debating whether to tell her the whole truth. "Well, he went flying over to that cliff he always sits on," Hermione nodded, though she looked mildly disapproving at the news of Harry breaking another rule she was too tired to raise the issue, "And I tried to get him to tell me what was going on. I mean, I had asked Ron and him after their Quidditch practice, " Ginny continued, and Hermione blinked. She had completely forgotten about the practice! After that whole mess with Malfoy she hadn't wanted to go anywhere where there was people and she had blown it off. "But Ron avoided the issue and Harry just snapped at me and refused to answer!"  
  
Ginny had sat herself on the edge of one of the sinks and was idlely swinging her feet; her hood had fallen back and her hair was wind-blown and slightly stuck to the sides of her face with sweat.  
  
"So I decided to follow him after supper and force him to talk to me. Ron had already gone into his room for the night so I couldn't talk to him." She clarified when Hermione looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "He was going flying, off to that hill that he always goes to when he's upset you know, so I followed him."  
  
"Ginny, you don't own a broom." Hermione pointed out. Ginny flushed guiltily.  
  
"I, erm, sort of borrowed a school broom."  
  
"Ginny!" Hermione chided her, but Ginny could tell that the protest was only halfhearted.  
  
"Well, I caught up to him, but he didn't really want to talk. I prodded at him a bit and he finally got annoyed and shouted something about Malfoy?" She hedged, deliberately leaving out her kiss with Harry and ending her comment with a questioning glance at the bookish Gryffindor sitting across from her. Hermione was avoiding her eyes.  
  
"Hermione, I'm not sure what happened, but whatever it is, I will believe what you tell me." Ginny said quietly, her voice soundly oddly loud in the nearly deserted bathroom.  
  
Hermione lifted her head and looked at her copper-haired friend. Ginny's eyes were ernest and unblinking, and Hermione knew that she spoke the truth. She nodded and Ginny walked over and sat beside her. Hermione kept her head down, her curly hair falling forward to hide her face, as the bed creaked and sank down a few inches as Ginny's weight settled onto it.  
  
"I was going back to the Tower after class and I ran into him." she began; Ginny didn't need to ask who the 'him' was, it was obviously Malfoy, "When I tried to go past him he blocked my way; pushed me against the wall. He made a bunch of comments about Harry and--" Hermione cut herself off before she said the word "I"; what Malfoy had implied in hallway about Harry and herself had been emabarrassing enough then, she wasn't sure if she wanted to have to descibe the nature of his remarks to Ginny, even if the girl was her best friend. Not that she wasn't best friends with Ron and Harry too, it was just that a girl needed some female companionship too and Ginny was it as she was really the only one would understood what Hermione had gone through; she had gone though some of the same situations in the Chaimber and the Department of Mysteries over the last few years. Hermonie rushed on, "Then he kissed me."  
  
Ginny sucked in her breath. "Hermione! Are you alright? Did he do anything else to you? Did you tell Professor McGonagall? She would have taken off points for him harassing you!"  
  
Hermione shook her head, lifting it to look at Ginny, who was staring at her with wide, anxious eyes.  
  
"Harry came along when he was doing it. He shouted at Malfoy, but when he saw me, he-- he didn't even listen to what I had to say! Ginny, he just looked at me like I was disgusting and a traitor! It wasn't my fault! I don't know why Malfoy did it! He's always hated me! But Harry--", she broke off and swallowed hard, tears coming back to her eyes as the hurt of Harry not believing her, not waiting to listen to her side of the story, all came flooding back, "Harry just brushed me off. I thought that he would take a swing at Malfory; maybe give him a good hex into the wall, but just looked at me as if I had allowed it; as if I had wanted it! Merlin Ginny, why did he act that way?"  
  
Ginny just pulled her now sobbing friend into her arms and gave her a sisterly embrace as Hermione cried into her shoulder. She didn't know what to say. Harry had always been level headed about these sorts of things. Malfoy hated Hermione. Hermione hated Malfoy. Always had, always would. How could even think that she would have participated in the kiss willingly? Ginny felt herself begin to shake with anger on behalf of Hermione. Of course, now that she understood what Harry had thought happend, Ginny unerstood why he had been so angry out on the cliffside earlier; not that that gave him any excuse for the way he had treated her, no matter how sorry he had appeared at the end of it all.  
  
"McGonagall came along after Harry left, and Malfoy left nearly as soon as she appeared. I didn't tell her, I was too embaressed and confused by what had all taken place I guess. I brushed off everything; told her that I had dropped my bag, which I did when I first ran into Malfoy, and let her come to her own natural conclusions about Harry and Malfoy. She didn't know that I was involved at all." Hermione sniffed, getting herself under control a few minutes later, long enough to finish her story.  
  
"Oh 'Mione...." Ginny said softly, stroking her friend's hair in the motherly fashion her own mum had done for her countless times when consolling her over something. For some reason Hermione burst into fresh tears again. The nickname, unbeknownst to Ginny, who had used it often enough when talking about the other Gryffindor girl to her family, although never actually to Hermione herself, was another reminder of what Hermione had thought was a sweet, new, side emerging in the now bitter Harry who probably would never speak ot her again. Suddenly Ginny gasped and Hermione jerked her head up with a loud sniff; trying to get her emotions under control.  
  
"Hermione, there's blood on your skirt!"  
  
Hermione looked down, her cheeks redening; was it that time already? Had she miscounted her calander? But when she pulled up her skirt to examine it, Hermione realized that the blood was coming from a cut on her theigh. So that's why her leg had been hurting. The wound was long and thin and shallow, partially scabbed, but now had the beginning of red iritation around it, the light healing having pulled apart slightly, probably when she and Ginny had run into each other at the door, and had begun to bleed again. Hermione stared at it, noting that there was some old, dried, blood on her skirt as well; she had no clue when she could have hurt herself like that. Ginny was watchng her closely, her eyes equally confused.  
  
"Hermione, what happened?" 


	9. Night Interlude

_I Love You, Don't Touch Me!_

Chapter 9: Night Interlude

Latin: _Integritas consanesanui_ - to give care/attention to making something well. (rough translation) (Fran, yes, I know that this translation, as botched as it is, is to go in the author's notes and not in the story body, it's only here for your benefit right now. Thanks for reading over this and sorry I took so long in getting it finished!)

Hermione lifted her head to look at Ginny. "I don't know." she said honestly, then looked down at her leg again. Her skirt wasn't torn, so it wasn't as if she had caught it on something... Hermione stared for a few more seconds, trying to figure out when she had been so clumsy, but drew a blank.

"Well, I guess you should clean it up then; wash it off and then I'll walk you down to Madam Pompfry." Ginny said, jumping up and going back to the sink. She returned a minute later with a wet, slightly soapy, cloth and handed it to Hermione. Hermione gently cleaned off her leg all the while muttering to herself about being distracted and something that sounded vaguely like "squid", "hex" and "Harry". Ginny agreed with her, although she didn't voice her opinion.

"Ginny," Hermione said suddenly, lifting her head again as she finished, "Madam Pompfry will long be in bed by now, it's really late..." she trailed off. Ginny gave her a somewhat skeptical look. "Ginny, I know that you're studying healing charms after school, could you... ?"

Ginny sighed. Obviously there was no way she was going to get Hermione to go to see the school medi-witch."Ok," she muttered, as she pulled out her wand and touched the tip of it to the end of the cut, "this may sting a little, I'm not very good yet. However, it doesn't look very deep and Madam Pompfry says that my healing of minor injuries has really improved over the last couple of weeks. _Integritas consanesanui_." A soft stream of pale blue light sprang from the end of Ginny's wand and the cut on Hermione's leg instantly glowed the same color before shrinking smaller and smaller and finally disappearing all together.

Hermione smiled. "I knew you could do it, thanks, Gin." A few minutes later Ginny had seen Hermione to her room and was quietly making her way back to the her own shared quarters of the tower thinking about what had happened that night. She was highly confused about several things, although she thought she had an inkling about why Harry had been so upset-- not that had any grounds to have treated her the way he had --but that cut Hermione had made her wonder. She slipped into her room unnoticed and changed into her nightclothes with a flick of her wand before climbing gratefully into bed. As she sank into the soft overstuffed mattress and closed her eyes, Ginny wished that life weren't so complicated.

Harry stared after Ginny's retreating form, watching as she steadily grew smaller and smaller in his vision. Sure, he could have gone after her, caught up to her easily enough, but he rather figured that she would need some time to cool off, and he didn't relish another punch in the face. For a girl of such small stature, Ginny sure packed it in. He absently rubbed his faintly stinging cheek and returned to his seat on the log thinking about how now both the girls that he had been so close to, now hated him. Well, Hermione, she had made her choice perfectly clear. Harry put his face in his hands and sighed deeply. If this was some sort of cruel trick by Volemort then he certainly wasn't laughing.

The following Wednesday morning, Severus Snape sat at the desk in his dungeon classroom, and pondered how he might pull one over on the Dark Lord. It wouldn't be easy, one didn't simply hoodwink the second most evil wizard in the entire world (Morgan LeFay was not one to be reckoned with either). This would take careful planning. He needed to make sure he looked realistic. Of course, that would not be easy as, in order to do that, he needed to break the wards, and in order to do that, he needed the help and cooperation of the entire staff at Hogwarts, which he was rather certain they wouldn't give freely. He could just imagine the next staff meeting.

Albus: "Any new business? Anyone? Severus, any news on the 'dark side'?"

Severus: "Ah, yes Albus, now that you mention it. Attention everyone, I need you to dismantle any and all wards on the campus at precisely one in the morning on June the tenth so that the Dark Lord can rampage the castle and kill all those who dwell in it before they know what has hit them. Oh, don't worry, we won't let him actually kill anyone, well, maybe a few of the annoying students, like Pott-- wait, we need him to win, don't we? Erm, never mind. We will only let him _think _that he can kill them. I'm sure we can handle a few hundred Death Eaters. Never mind the fact that as soon as they discover that I'm a turncoat they'll murder me on the spot and then you won't have anyone to spy for you. Don't worry, this is all a trick really, I'm attempting to fool the Dark Lord, I'm sure that he won't figure it out."

Yes, that would go over well. He growled into his coffee mug. The bitter liquid nearly made him gag, which was just as well as he felt no particular urge to do otherwise at the moment. He always took it black; black as the soul that everyone except Albus suspected him of having, if they even believe he had one.

The students would be coming in soon. He knew that several of his house had joined the ranks of the Dark Lord. Their initiations had all been different. Each had been asked to do something different and difficult. The Parkinson girl had been ordered to destroy a bridge laden with muggle-filled motorcars, testing her resilience and whether or not she could stomach death. She had nearly fainted after managing to blast apart only half of the concrete structure. The Dark Lord had shaken his head, disgusted at her, but still allowed her to attend the coming ceremony at the end of the school year.

The Zabini boy had been told that he must murder his own little sister (about age eight, Severus supposed); she was too "good", the Dark Lord had said. Zabini had done it, his face considerably paler afterwards, but his eyes reflected the fact that he had set himself against feeling pain for her. _He_ was no coward.

Come to think of it, all of the school-children's rites of passage had had something to do with death. Some of the children though, Severus wasn't sure what they had been ordered to do though, like the junior Malfoy for instance. With his father all buddy-buddy with the Dark Lord, Severus had the disturbing feeling that it had been something important.

He glanced at his watch, the gold time-piece that he kept clipped to the inside of his robes: two minutes until class was to start. There was a rustle at the door and a few students scuttled in. Gryffindors. Moments later Draco Malfoy and his sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle's two tubby sons, sauntered in. Well, Draco sauntered, the other two boys lumbered, there was no other way to describe it. One minute. More and more children came in and took their seats. Potter came in alone and sat at his usual table near the back of the room. He didn't look at anyone, but when he did catch someone's eye, he glared. In fact, that morning when he saw Draco, Severus was sure that Potter positively _glowered _at him. Interesting. He made a mental note to question the Slytherin boy later and find out by which good fortune he had managed to anger the pathetic Gryffindor so.

Weasley followed seconds later. He took a seat next to Potter, but there was a definite tension between them, Severus could tell. Granger entered last, Longbottom on her tail. The smart-alec Head Girl and cowardly Head Boy took their seats across the room from the other two thirds of Granger's usual trio. Severus raised an eyebrow at this. Most interesting, indeed. As a matter of fact, the three Gryffindor's didn't speak to each other the entire class period, not even when Severus purposely took twenty points from Potter for taking so long to gather is potion ingredients, in fact, she didn't speak at all. The class proceeded relatively smoothly, likely due to the fact that with Granger not practically knocking over her stool every five minutes in her haste to answer a question, Severus was able to bark out instructions for the afternoon's potion and then sit at his desk with his hand over his eyes, and try and tune out the low chatter and occasional explosion from a potion gone wrong.

Class ended, and the students all filed out while Severus watched. Weasly and Thomas exited, followed closely by Crabbe, Finnigin, Goyle, Zabini and Parkinson. Granger was near the last to leave, Potter just ahead of her, and Severus watched with interest as Potter gave her a wide berth as they entered the hallway, carefully avoiding any contact with the girl. Malfoy was gathering his books and fiddling with something in his bag as he made his way out of the classroom, when Severus called him over.

"Mr. Malfoy, might you spare a moment to talk?" The tall Slytherin paused and glanced curiously back over his shoulder. However graciously his Head of House had phrased his words, it was obvious that it was not a question. He turned and walked slowly back up to Professor Snape's grand oak desk.

"Yes, sir?"

"I was wondering if you had had your initiation yet? I have noticed that several of your fellow classmates have. Has your father discussed your task with you yet?" Severus asked smoothly, his cold, black eyes unblinkingly fixed upon boy. Draco allowed a slight smirk to cross his features.

"Oh, yes sir. But I'm not at liberty to discuss what it is, yet."

Severus straightened up in his chair and pinned the junior Malfoy with another penetrating gaze. "Come now, Draco, surely you can tell me."

Malfoy's eyes lit up slightly, glinting with suppressed malice as he glanced out the door into the empty hallway again before speaking, "Well, sir, I will let you know that it's probably the most important task yet. After all, my father is an important member of the-- well, of the Dark Lord's followers. He persuaded the Dark Lord to allow me to perform something vital to his plan. It will help make this world pure once again." The young boy's eyes flashed again, his breathing speeding up excitedly. "You can ask him, my father that is, if you wish to know more. But that's all I can say for now, sir." With that the snarky little son of Lucius Malfoy sauntered out of the classroom. Severus shook his head. He would certainly be talking to the boy's father, but he had the feeling that whatever he found out, he was not going to like.

Hermione walked quickly along the long, thin, aisle in the library on Thursday night. It was nearly closing time, she glanced at her watch, wait, it was past closing time: ten-fifteen already? The tall, narrow, windows let the inky night shadows into the already dimly lit library, and Hermione realized that the only reason that she hadn't been kicked out at approximately ten on the nose, was that, as head girl, she was allowed certain privileges, and staying in the library after hours, was apparently one of them.

She shifted her book-bag onto her right shoulder, giving her left one a break from the strain of the weight of her schoolwork, and turned another corner, holding her wand out in front of her, the soft light at its tip glowing cheerily in the darkness. She was still far in the back of the large room and her eyes were only half open from weariness. Another aisle, now she was only six from the exit. Then she heard it. Footsteps. She froze. Who else, besides herself, would be in the library that late?

The footsteps sounded closer. Hermione took several steps back and lowered her bag to the floor as she peered through the small space between the books on the shelf at her eye level, and the bottom of the shelf above them. She could see the shadow of a tall figure making its way towards her.

"_Nox_!" she hissed quickly, extinguishing her light in a flash. She crouched down lower, pulling her black school robes closer around her body and trying to blend into the shadows. The figure came nearer and Hermione shrank closer and closer to the floor, trying to see through the semi darkness, as Madam Pince had put out all the lanterns and candles when she left, save for a few left to light the way for Flich should he have need of them, as he obviously didn't have aid of a wand if he needed light. The figure turned the corner into her aisle and Hermione suddenly jumped to her feet.

"You!" she cried, half triumphant, half terrified, her heart pounding. The person in front of her smirked, their face still obscured by shadow.

Harry sat up with a start, blinking in the darkness of his enclosed bed and trying to figure out why he had woken so suddenly. His mind was swimming half with dreams and half with reality as his fuzzy head tried to decipher what was going on. He checked his watch. It was barely ten-twenty, he had been asleep for only fifteen minutes, in fact he had fallen asleep with this clothes on. Harry lay back on his bed and groaned. He wanted to sleep and forget everything that had happened in the last few days.

He closed his eyes and mentally went over the things that he had to hand in the following day. A short essay for Transfiguration, detailing the pros and cons of human transfiguring, a book report on goblin rebellions of 1743 for Professor Binns... he paused, wait, he hadn't finished that essay for McGonagall yet! In fact, Harry distinctly remembered throwing the first parchment aside, disregarding its few measly paragraphs, in order to play a game of Exploding Snap with Dean and Seamus, then seven games of Wizard's Chess with Ron because they kept tying the score and neither one would admit defeat... he had completely forgotten to finish it!

He pushed open his bed-hangings and swung his legs over the side of the bed as he grabbed his glasses and his wand. He stopped only to put on his shoes and grab the invisibility cloak and marauder's map from his trunk before exiting the dormitory as quietly as he could.

Harry made his way slowly through the deserted common room and out into the hallway. He glanced at the map, and seeing Flich moving somewhere in the Astronomy Tower, along with several pairs of dots which, until moments ago had been nestled in close proximity with each other, went scattering across the Tower in opposite directions, like numerous magnets that are propelled naturally away from each other. He hurried quickly down the hallway towards the library. He only needed a couple of books. If he worked hard, he could have the essay completed by midnight and still get some sleep. Unfortunately for him, he didn't bother to check the library for occupants.

"You," the boy snarled back, advancing on Hermione. She took another step back as Malfoy moved closer to her. "What's the little mudblood doing in the library after hours? The little teacher's pet needs to get another extra credit assignment finished?" Hermione glared at him, stopping her backtracking so suddenly that Malfoy had to stumble to a halt only inches from her.

"Shut up, Malfoy, it's none of your business what I'm doing here. However, it's _my _business what _you're _doing out so late. Ten points from Slytherin for being out after hours." Hermione snapped, holding her head high and squaring her shoulders as she did her best to stare Draco down. He looked at her, surprise showing on his pointy facial features as he registered what she had just said to him.

"Out, Malfoy." Hermione said coldly, wishing that he would leave. Her book-bag was cutting into her shoulder and she was tired. Draco straightened up and folded his arms across his chest.

"No," he said coolly.

"Fifteen points," Hermione said, annoyed that he was just standing there, "and get out of my way."

"I suppose that this is your way of getting back at me from our last encounter?" Draco asked causally, his cold grey eyes flashing, and he took another step toward her.

"_Twenty_!" Hermione snapped back, backing up again. Sure, she could be brave, but Draco was taller and stronger than her, and of course she wouldn't put it past him to try something again now they were alone in the dark library. She swallowed nervously, trying to keep up her brave front, but her annoyance at Malfoy was quickly being outweighed by the intimidation that his advancing figure was oozing as he came closer to her.

"I really don't think you know what you're doing." Malfoy said lowly, as he slowly backed her down the book aisle, to the dead-end which finished in a tall stained glass window. A few pale strains of moonlight streaked filtered on them.

"T-twenty-five points, I'm warning you, Malfoy..." Hermione choked out, feeling her back press up against the cold stone and glass of wall.

"Poor little Granger, whatever will I do? Oh, I know, how about I add some ears to go with those terrible teeth you have?" He paused to consider other options and Hermione bristled. Her teeth had been fine since fourth year and he knew it! "Or, maybe I could boils on your ugly little face? To show the school what filth you muggle-borns really are..." He fingered his wand almost lovingly as he continued to pretend to ponder what other horrible things he could do to her.

"T-thirty points, and I'll make it one hundred if you don't get back to your dormitory this instant!" Hermione forced out, fumbling for her own wand while trying to avoid alerting Draco that she was doing so. If he wanted to duel, she was going to go down fighting.

Harry slipped quietly into the library and began to make his way across the large, dark room.

He froze in mid-step, that had sounded like Hermione's voice.

Apparently the library was occupied. He quickly hurried down an aisle on the opposite side of the room from where the voices where coming from and pulled out his wand and the marauder's map.

"_I suppose that this is your way of getting back at me from our last encounter_?"

That other voice sounded like... Harry paused, feeling his heart speed up as his anger began to rise... That other voice just had to belong to--

"_Twenty_!"

"_I really don't think you know what you're doing_."

The voices then dropped somewhat and, although they were still obviously having an argument, Harry could no longer tell what they were saying. He whispered "_Lumus_" and unrolled the map. He muttered the spell to reveal the map and soon Harry's wondering eyes found his location in the library. The only other two dots on the map were labeled "Hermione Granger" and "Draco Malfoy". He felt hot and then cold at the same time, torn between getting out of there as fast as he could and ignoring them and getting his books. His suscpicions had been correct. No one could mistake a voice like that: the cocky, condisending drawl that all Malfoy's possesssed.

Suddenly, a shriek pierced the silent air of the room and Harry jerked his head up from the map, startled. That hadn't sounded good. He jumped to his feet and sprinted off in the direction that the map had indicated his ex-best friend and eternal-enemy to be standing with a curse, his wand clutched tightly in his hand and the map stuffed hastily in his pocket.

Hermione bit down on her tongue annoyed that she had allowed herself to submit to Malfoy's game. He had lifted his wand and muttered something under his breath that she couldn't quite make out, but the fact was, she hadn't managed to get to _her _wand yet and when Draco had raised his wand he had scared her. She had made a frantic lunge for her own wand and in the process overbalanced herself and landed, with a loud shriek, in a heap on the floor, Malfoy laughing down at her.

Hermione, now in a complete state of disarray, bordering on panic, turned her complete attention to her bag and began digging through her books frantically for the wand which had slid down to the bottom in her tumble.

"Why Granger, how many points will I loose for this?" Malfoy said, smirking down at her, and as soon as she lifted her head to look at him, hissed something again under his breath as he lifted his wand--

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" a new voice suddenly cut in and Draco's entire body seized up before stiffening to that of a board, and he fell backwards with a crash. Hermione gasped, finally managing to yank her wand from her bag with a last frantic tug. She lowered it slowly as she realized who was standing behind Malfoy's frozen body--

Harry stared at Hermione, who was blinking up at him with wide eyes, and lowered his own wand. He suddenly felt very tired.

"Harry..." she whispered quietly, then turned back to her books and began hurriedly shoving them back into her school-bag. Harry continued to stare at the top of Hermione's busy head as the last few lines of the conversation he had overhead moments before replayed themselves inside his mind.

"Hermione..." he echoed, there was something about what Malfoy had said earlier that was nudging at the back of his mind.

"_I suppose that this is your way of getting back at me from our last encounter_?"

Harry stepped over Malfoy's sprawled form and knelt beside Hermione, who's body was shaking so badly she could barely get her books put away. She was doing her best not to look at him.

"Hermione," Harry said again, a little louder. She kept her face averted and tried to work faster. "Hermione, are you all right?" She stopped, but didn't lift her head.

"Harry, I..." she trailed off and Harry could see her shoulders begin to shake, "thank-you for--" She cut herself off and lifted her head suddenly, whipping her face around to look him in the eyes. "Harry, please! This isn't what it looks like. No, the last time wasn't what it looked like, this time was _exactly _what it looked like! Harry you've got to believe me! Malfoy and me? You know how impossible that is! H-harry--"

She was crying. Harry's heart wrenched painfully as he watched Hermione kneeling in front of him, tears sliding down her cheeks as she pleaded with him. He didn't want her to cry. He hated that she was, hated that _he_ was the cause of those tears. He leaned forwards suddenly and pulled her into his arms, his mouth working painfully as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Shh...I believe you, Hermione. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for not believing you before. I-- I overheard you and Malfoy just now, what you said, what _he _said about...what happened the other day." He felt Hermione stiffen as he pulled her into his embrace and her arms hung limply in her lap as she rested her head awkwardly on his shoulder, and as he spoke she lifted them and clutched at the sleeves of his robes, drawing his arms closer and holding onto him tightly, but as soon as Harry finished speaking her arms came up and she pushed him back, away from her.

"Harry," she said brokenly, "how could you think that there was anything between me and him?" Her eyes glittered brightly with unshed tears in the moonlight and she looked so sad and disappointed that Harry's heart gave another painful twist.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, it just-- it just looked so real. I was so shocked that I couldn't think straight. I know that I should have known better, please..." Harry found himself pleading back with her. Hermione drew back from him, her hands resting in her lap as she listened to him. She knew that she should feel angry with him for the way he had treated her the past few days, for him not believing her, for him assuming the worst about her, but she was just so relieved that he finally believed her.

"Harry..." she whispered, lifting a hand to gently caress his cheek with the backs of her fingers, and he caught her wrist with one of his hands, lowering her hand, and Hermione tensed as warmth flooded her cheeks at his gesture and she swallowed whatever else she was going to say.

"Please forgive me, Hermione, I was wrong, and stupid, and I really do care about you." Harry said in a low voice. Such a deep voice, Hermione's mind insisted on informing her, and despite it all she found herself blushing harder. She was thankful for the darkness. She tried to form words but her mind had turned its concentration to Harry's large, warm, hand that was still holding her wrist gently in-between them.

"I forgive you," she whispered softly, staring into his eyes she nearly forgot everything that had happened over the past few days. He was staring back at her... leaning closer to her... his hand tightening slightly on her wrist...

Hermione blinked, as if she had just come out of a daze, and suddenly pulled her hand from his grasp. Harry blinked at her, confused.

"I'm-- I'm sorry, Harry, I need to-- think about some things. I'll see you later, ok?" With that she leapt to her feet and hurried out of the library, leaving Harry staring after her, and Malfoy still solid as a statue, on the floor.


	10. Trouble's Brewing

"_In the poison'd entrails throw.- _

_Toad, that under cold stone, _

_Days and nights has thirty-one; _

_Swelter'd venom sleeping got, _

_Boil thou first i' the charmed pot! _"

Longbottom's toad, it's throat cut, was tossed in. That had been a fifth year's job to gather.

"_Double Double,_

_Toil and Trouble,_

_Fire burn and Cauldron bubble,_

_Fillet of a fenny snake, _

_In the caldron boil and bake; _

_Eye of newt, and toe of frog, _

_Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, _

_Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, _

_Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,- _

_For a charm of powerful trouble, _

_Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."_

Several wizards in long dark cloaks and masks hovered around a large black cauldron which was, true to form, bubbling ferociously in it's nest of half charred logs and sickly greenish-yellow flames. Slowly, a tall man walked forwards carrying a phial half full of a deep red liquid.

_"Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf; _

_Witches' mummy; maw and gulf _

_Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark; _

_Root of hemlock digg'd in the dark;"_

Severus Snape made his way forwards and tossed in a handful of black scales (swept up and carefully stored in his private cupboards since the Tri-Wizard Tournament three years ago) and a then drew out a tiny flask containing a some-what bloody tooth-- courtesy of one R.J. Lupin. When Lupin had accidentally walked into a door two weeks ago and knocked one out (of course he had gone to Madam Pomfry at once and she had given him a potion to regrow the missing canine), Severus had snapped the tooth up from the floor, as it skidded out of eyesight, as soon as Lupin had rounded the corner.

_Liver of blaspheming Jew; _

_Gall of goat, and slips of yew _

_Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse; _

_Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips; _

_Finger of birth-strangled babe _

_Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,- _

_Make the gruel thick and slab: _

_Add thereto a tiger's chaudron, _

_For the ingredients of our caldron."_

The man with the red liquid drew nearer and lifted the thin glass tube, only about two inches in height and half an inch wide. As the other men and women continued to chant and add the ingredients that the spell called for, he slowly --and rather over- dramatically-- poured it into the cauldron.

_"Double, double toil and trouble; _

_Fire burn, and caldron bubble. _

_Cool it with a baboon's blood, _

_Then the charm is firm and good."_

He smirked as he turned and walked back to the large circle of the other Death Eaters. 'Baboon's blood' indeed. The witches of the day had so dubbed all half-bloods and worse as such, but, personally, Lucius preferred the modern term of 'mudblood' himself. The potion hissed loudly as the thickish red liquid dripped into it, and then, with a particularly large burst of sparks, it quieted and the bubbling all but ceased.

The still frozen body of Draco Malfoy was discovered by Madam Pince the following morning when she made her morning rounds before she unlocked the doors to allow students access to the library after breakfast. She had a brief shock, and sudden flashback to five years previous when there had been that big commotion with the Chamber of Secrets, but common sense quickly prevailed and she tried a reverse charm for the spell closest to being _Petrified_--the _Petrificus Totalus_. Draco's body twitched and as soon as he could move, he scrambled to his feet and spun around, his words of :

"Bloody hell!", as he turned to face whoever had hit him in the back with the curse, "I'll make you sorry you-- !" dying on his lips as he encountered the startled, quickly turning to angry and suspicious, face of the head librarian.

"And just _what _were you doing in the library after hours, Mr. Malfoy?" she demanded with a sternness that caused even Draco to snap his mouth shut.

Draco bit his tongue, even as he itched to say something scathing to the old windbag, who watched him like a hawk and gave him the evil eye whenever he tried to sign out a book.

"I wasn't here after hours, at least, not on purpose. I got-- distracted, by some people." he muttered, giving her his most sincere look. Pince glared down at him with an unblinking stare. _Damn, she wasn't buying it._

"I don't care what caused your being here, Mr. Malfoy, but fifteen points from Slytherin and I shall be speaking to Professor Snape about keeping an eye on his troublesome students!" she snapped back at him, "--And don't think that 'innocent look' is going to work with me, _I _know you better than that! Trying to sneak into the Restricted Section I wouldn't doubt!" And with that, the aging librarian, whom Draco was willing to bet had been hired when Slytherin and Gryffindor were more than just names of houses, turned on her heel and swept out of the aisle, calling over her shoulder, "Get yourself to class, Mr. Malfoy, and if you make me tell you again it'll be thirty points!"

The tall Slytherin stomped out of the library, glowering at the books and attempting to burn a hole in the back of Pince's head with his eyes --muttering under his breath. He knew Granger had something to do with this, and he was going to make her pay. Especially after she took thirty points from him yesterday evening. He knew that his dorm-mates would notice the drastic drop in the Hour Glass which kept the house scores, by now, and with Pince's fifteen points...well, he had the feeling that there would be some pretty grumpy people looking for who had caused it. He stomped off towards the Great Hall for breakfast contemplating how he could skive off his Herbology lesson and looking forward to the double block of Potions that he had in the afternoon. _SHE _would be there then, and he would waste no time in letting her know just how much she had earned his wrath. After all, staring at the ceiling all night had certainly given him time to think about how he would properly make her pay.

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table that morning at breakfast, eating methodically and not really talking to anyone. Hermione had bustled in and out again in a matter of seconds--pausing only to talk to Ginny quickly, and grab a piece of toast with jelly. Ron had ignored her, but looked pained as he did so, and Harry felt an immediate stab of anger at his best friend's ignorance before remembering that he had all rights to be acting that way.

It had been Harry who had convinced him that Hermione had been snogging Malfoy, and Ron had been in complete disbelief. He had finally sided with Harry's view, which had really been rather easy considering Hermione had been scarcely seen over the past few days, and wouldn't talk to, or look at, either of them. Harry's story had become very plausible, as outrageous as it sounded.

Harry leaned over and spoke lowly into Ron's ear,

"I've got something to tell you, mate, and I have a feeling that it'll make you a lot happier than that mush you call breakfast." Harry grinned, indicating the wizarding world's version of 'cream of wheatí, which Ron was busy pulling his spoon out of. The spoon popped free with a loud 'squelching' sound and Ron raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"What's that?"

Harry suddenly felt very embarrassed. He had made a huge mistake, and nearly destroyed his friendship with Hermione-- not that he was entirely sure things were fully right with both of them yet. Hermione hadn't said a word to him that morning--in fact, she hadn't been exactly cold to him, but she hadn't made any attempt to strike up a conversation either. She had been...distant.

Harry cleared his throat and turned his head back to Ron as Hermione exited the Hall after her quick chat with Ginny. A few seats down, on the opposite side of the table, his eyes met with hers. Ginny's that is. And she looked mad. Harry suddenly flushed scarlet and quickly grabbed his goblet of Pumpkin Juice and took a large swig, promptly chocking heartily on it as he both tried to take a deep, calming breath, and swallow at the same time. He coughed loudly, thumping painfully on his chest as he tried to force his lungs to work.

"Hey Harry, you ok?" Ron asked with a surprised look. "You didn't want to tell me that you failed your Potions paper and are now saying your last goodbyes before you drown yourself in an artificially flavored orange breakfast drink, are you?"

Harry managed to shake his head as he got his breathing back under control. But his thoughts were no longer on informing Ron of Hermione's innocence and his blunder; he had just remembered the incident that had taken place with Ginny last night! _What if she told Ron?! _If Ron believed her, Harry was dead. Ron might not look it, but he was slowly and surely putting muscles onto his lanky frame and he could take Harry down anytime he wanted to, if he really put his mind to it.

Harry suddenly lost his appetite. Why was he even thinking along the lines of 'if Ron believed her?' Of course Ron would believe her-- it wasn't like Harry was going to lie, and say that he hadn't practically molested his best mate's baby sister in a fit of anger, hurt, and jealously, last night, was he? Harry shook his head again. Of course not. He would apologize to Ginny when the time was right, and then pray that Ron never got wind of their...er...situation.

"Well, what is it, Harry?" Ron was giving him an odd look, glancing briefly at his sister, as he followed Harry's gaze.

"Er..." Harry desperately tried to come up with something to draw the attention away from Ginny and the images of Ron pummeling him into the ground with a borrowed Beater's club, not to mention Ginny-- she looked mad enough to kill at that moment. Harry made a mental note to avoid her until she had cooled down some-- like a week or so, and until he had thought up a good enough excuse for his inexcusable behavior.

"Er," he said again, his gaze averted once again as a new person sauntered in the Hall: Draco Malfoy. Harry's fists curled under the table. "We have double Potions this afternoon." he growled under his breath, not realizing that he had spoken out loud, and Ron's other eyebrow joined the first.

"And this is the good news that's supposed to make me feel better? Well, congratulations, mate, at least something else in the world is worse that this glop!"

But Harry was hardly listening to his friend's attempt at humor. His burning glare was fixed on Malfoy as he strolled across the room, grabbed a biscuit and ate it in three bites before washing it down with a goblet of juice. He laughed at something a few Slytherin's sitting near him had said, and then turned on his heel and began making his way out of the Hall. Harry jumped up from his seat, causing Ron to look up again and even Ginny to stare at him in surprise. Harry ignored them. He was only focused on reaching the exit at the same time as that slimy little bastard from Slytherin. He had about fifteen minutes before he had to be at Care of Magical Creatures with the Ravenclaws, and he wanted to have 'words' with one 'Malfoy Jr.' before he went.

Draco noticed Potter's beeline towards him from across the room, and sped up his pace a little. And, athough he still appeared to be casually moving towards the doors, his walk was a little brisker. He reached the doors just before Potter did, and at the same time as a group of chattering Hufflepuffs. He pushed his way through the crowd and out into the mostly empty hallway. He glanced around: a head of rather bushy brown hair just disappearing around a corner to the back grounds, appearing in the corner of his eye. Draco's grin widened as he hurried after her, glancing over his shoulder to note with satisfaction that Potter remained stuck behind the queue of scatterbrained students sporting the yellow and black colors of the house of the Badger.

Hermione slowly made her way across the grounds. It was a nice morning, quiet- except for the odd bird chirping in some far-off tree- and the sky was a pure, bright blue without a cloud in sight. The grass was wet, as it had obviously rained sometime during the night, and she sighed, a soft smile on her face as she inhaled the damp scent of the wet earth. She loved the smell of the outdoors after a good storm.

She had managed to avoid talking to --or even really looking at-- Harry, for her brief stint at breakfast. And, although he had apologized for being a world-class prat, there are some things that cut a person deep. Having one of your best friends assume that you had done something heinous without even giving you a chance to explain was one of them, and Hermione was having a mighty inner-struggle with herself as to whether or not she actually believed in the forgiveness she had promised Harry the previous evening. She wanted to forgive and forget. She wanted things to go back to the way they had been at the start of term. She was nearing the Greenhouses now, and noted that no one else was there yet. _Wait_, she checked herself, _Luna was over by the door to Greenhouse Five. _Hermione smiled and lifted her hand to return the wave that the dreamy Ravenclaw had sent in her direction before the willowy blonde rounded the corner and continued on towards Hagrid's hut.

Hermione had questioned Luna earlier in the year as to what she was doing in a seventh year class when she was only in sixth, and Luna had given her a somewhat annoyed look that would have suggested that she doubted Hermione's own intellect if Hermione hadn't learned to read the younger girl's face and reactions more closely that year, and, therefore, knew better. She had replied that she had requested to be moved up a level because the sixth year classes were too easy for her, then she had added that she thought Hermione ought to have guessed that, as Hermione had almost been placed in Ravenclaw herself and should have had been smart enough to figure it out, rather than assume --like most others-- that Luna was only there because she was too airheaded to notice that she was in the wrong classroom.

Hermione had been slightly shocked at this reaction from Luna, whom she was starting to like and want to become closer friends with (Ginny said that she was such a nice person once you got past all her random comments and such) and had assured Luna that she was indeed impressed with her accomplishments. She had learned later on from Ginny that Ron had made the comment about airheads to Luna first day of Care of Magical Creatures and Luna had been in a right tizzy when she had come to her next class with Ginny that evening. Hermione had made a point not to mention it to Luna again.

However, just as Hermione was on her way around the same corner of the glass plant houses that Luna had swept past, she felt a hand grab her arm and she was yanked back around the corner and out of sight of both Hagrid's hut and the looming castle. In fact, the nearest thing to her was the edge of the Forbidden Forest, about twenty feet off to her left, that, and a rather pissed off looking, pointy-faced Slytherin with a look in his eyes that spelled 'you're gonna be sorry you got out of bed this morning'.

She let out an indignant cry as Malfoy's fingers dug into her arm and whipped her around before she was slammed up against the back of garden shed behind Greenhouse Five. His eyes narrowed and his grip tightened as he seized hold of her other forearm as well.

"Let me go, you arrogant, pompous _ferret_!" Hermione yelled at the top of her lungs, and was rewarded with a sharp slap across the face as Malfoy backhanded her, effectively silencing her in the midst of any forthcoming insult.

"Now you listen to me, Granger," Draco hissed, glaring down at the girl he had pinned to the wall, "you think that was funny? That night in the library? I don't know how you did it, but you hit me with a spell leaving me to wake up to the 'good graces' of Pince and her following tirade to Snape, which, by the way, caused me to be spending tonight scrubbing cauldron bottoms just to keep her from ratting to Dumbledore about that little escapade! And I, Granger, don't like getting my hands dirty over some idiot's failure to read a textbook properly." With these last three words, his hands tightened about her slim shoulders and he slammed her against the wall to emphasize them.

Hermione struggled to loosen Malfoy's hands, and glared at him, trying to ignore the stinging pain in her cheek and throbbing in her head. "You bastard, that wasn't me, that was _Har_--!"

"You don't let up for a second, do you Malfoy," a voice cut in, once again, from behind him and Hermione felt Draco's hands press harder against her as she noted anger positively radiating from him.

"_Potter_," he hissed, rather living up to the snake 'mascot' of his house, and Hermione made a face as he half-spat the name out toward her face, before turning his head to send a glare over his shoulder. "Always around to save the day, aren't we?"

Harry had his wand out and was matching Malfoy in trembling rage, sparks verily shooting from his eyes-- and literally popping sporadically from the tip of his out-stretched wand.

"Let her go, Malfoy." Harry said clearly, his voice be-letting a 'this-is-not-up-for-negotiation' tone.

Draco sent a withering glare back in Harry's direction before turning around and bringing his face close to Hermione's so that he could whisper in her ear without Harry hearing.

"This isn't over, _mudblood_. I still have plans for you, and the rest of the _filth _that muck up this school. And when it's all over, you'll wish you had never been _born_." Then he released her abruptly, shoving her hard against the wall and causing her slight body to rebound forwards with a hollow metal sound as the wall of the shed shuddered from the weight that slammed against it, andand ignoring her as she fell to the ground as he stalked off.

Harry looked torn between hexing Malfoy out of existence --again-- and racing forwards to see if she was alright. In the end, the forlorn looking heap of robes and curly brown hair that was one of his best friends won out. Revenge could wait. Harry stowed his wand away in an inner pocket of his robes and strode forward quickly, dropping to his knees beside Hermione, who had both hands pressed to her temples in her semi-fetal position in the dirt. Slowly he gathered her into his lap and helped her to sit up, allowing her to lay her head on chest as he held her close.

"Hermione, fancy meeting you here!" he tried to say lightly, but his concern outweighed his attempt at a joke, and the words came out sounding hollow.

Hermione shifted in his arms, feeling incredibly relieved and embarrassed at the same time. How many times was Harry going to have to 'save' her this year? She was supposed to be the smart one! The one who could figure out anything: Malfoy, his annoyingly creepy comments from a few moments ago, what the hell was up with the cut on her leg, and --_why was she blushing just now?! _

"Er...are you alright, Hermione?" Harry asked, trying to hold her gently and get a look at her face at the same time. He carefully brushed a stray tendril off her face and his eyes narrowed as he took in the slightly puffy reddish mark that was steadily growing darker on her right cheek.

"Did he hit you?" he demanded pointedly, and Hermione suddenly pulled away from him, getting to her feet. Harry jumped to his own as well, pinning her with an intensely angry gaze. "Hermione...?" he questioned. She turned away for a few seconds before spinning back around to face him, just as he reached out a hand for her arm. Startled Harry pulled his hand back from her and stared in surprise at Hermione's own expression.

"Yes, Harry, he did...but I pity him for it. He only really torments me when I'm alone. It's nothing like when we're in class. He gets his kicks picking on us lowly mudbloods, pushing us around and trying to build up his own self confidence by putting us down. I pity him..." she whispered, her voice deadly soft, and somewhat leaden.

Deep down she knew that there was no 'us', not really. Sure Malfoy put down all those that weren't pureblood, or, if they were, like Ron, he would find something else to insult --like Ron's financial status. However, when it came down to it, it seemed to be her that he hated the most, and she had no idea why.

She sighed and tried to take a deep, calming breath. Ever since early yesterday morning she had felt very weak, and as the day wore on, she felt worse--like all her energy was slowly seeping away. When Malfoy had showed up and grabbed hold of her a few moments ago, her initial gut reaction had been to curse him. She was tired of his constant jibes and put-downs and general abuse of her person. But, although her temper stayed intact (minus that one little outburst), her body just wasn't responding to what her mind commanded. Last night she had fought mentally just to draw her wand, and now, every time she so much as had a notion of inflicting harm on Draco Malfoy, or any other Slytherin who so much as gave her a condescending glance, her stomach twisted into knots and her head started to pound.

Harry stared at her. Hermione was changing, slowly, as the year went on, she was drawing in on herself, and not acting like the intelligent, brave, independent girl that he had grown to love over the years. He was beginning to worry about her. She should have been able to hex Malfoy halfway through the Forest before he had a chance to lay a hand on her. What was going on?


	11. Starting to Understand

_I Love You, Don't Touch Me!_

Chapter 11

Hermione spent the next few weeks avoiding Malfoy. She took great pains never to be alone at any time that she was outside her common room. Classes were easily taken care of, lots of other students for cover during them; meals were spent with Harry, Ron, and Ginny (when she wasn't trying to get Neville to notice her) and even going to the bathroom was manageable since it was common knowledge that girls practically never went to the restroom alone. Trying to keep a companion when she was spending her regular hours doing homework in the library was tricky, all her close friends knew far too well how long she liked to study for and were full of clever ways to avoid being sucked into an all-evening book-fest. Hermione worked around that by putting up a poster in the common room offering free homework help for all grades under her own, and found a ready stream of younger students signing up for one hour blocks of tutoring from her. All in all she kept herself busy and her mind off a certain Slytherin as much as possible. However, she hadn't been able to avoid run-ins with Malfoy altogether.

That evening as Hermione sat at a long wooden table surrounded by stacks of books and parchment, finishing up her Transfiguration essay while across the table two third year Hufflepuff girls worked diligently on their own essays so that Hermione could look them over when they were done, she thought back to the last few times she had met Malfoy in the halls, or been provoked into speaking to him in class. In Potions last week, for instance:

Malfoy had been walking past her, Harry and Ron's work table on his way to get a potion ingredient from the store cupboard and he had deliberately knocked Ron's arm as he was concentrating on pouring only four drops of Essence of Rosewood into their cauldron of simmering Wishing Potion. Ron's arm had jerked at the contact and he had accidentally poured half a bottle into the cauldron before he could stop himself! The cauldron had turned a putrid orange, frothed violently, then bubbled over and spilled all over their work station, notes and the surrounding floor. Snape had been out of the room at the time, having had to go see Professor Sprout for a refill on Bubertuber puss, another unlikely ingredient needed for this potion, and so there was no one around to stop Hermione from ripping a strip off Malfoy for destroying their perfect (thanks mostly to her) nearly complete potion. She had opened her mouth to let him have it, a slew of acid-filled retorts on her tongue, but she had barely gotten out, "Malfoy, look what you did! You did that on purpose, you arrogant little ferret—!" Then suddenly she felt dizzy and the room had spun for a few moments. She had broken off and grabbed hold of a corner of the nearest work station to try and get her bearings. The acrid smell coming from her spoiled potion must be making her lightheaded she had told herself, and had paused for another moment to take a deep breath and clear her head. The dizziness had gone moments after she stopped talking. However, Snape had reentered the dungeon at that time and Hermione had hastily retaken her seat. Harry and Ron had been glaring daggers at Malfoy from behind her, and had been on the verge a tirade of scathing insults themselves, but Hermione had grabbed Ron's arm and yanked him back into his seat while simultaneously hissing "Harry, let it go, Snape just got back!" under her breath. The boys had complied, both glaring murderously at Malfoy as Snape took one look at the disgusting mess that was now their assignment and given them all zeros with a decidedly unprofessional grin curling his lips. Hermione had glared at Malfoy as well, imagining all the things she would like to be doing to him that moment. She had _never_ gotten a zero in _anything_ before! Even Snape had had to grudgingly admit that she was good at Potions and give her full marks, until now that is. She massaged her temples as her head throbbed painfully in time with each unspoken insult and imagined retaliation that went through her mind. Damn Malfoy had given her a headache, she thought blackly.

And again, only a few days ago, she had been walking back to her unofficial tutoring table in a corner of the library with an armload of books when Malfoy had appeared from the end of a long aisle of shelves. He had made to shove past her and cause her to drop her tall stack of books for a bit of fun on his way out of the library, since there were too many people around to have any _real _fun with Granger, but Hermione had been one step ahead of him and sidestepped his maneuver. She had spun on her heel and, with a quick accessing glance that told her Madam Pince wasn't nearby, had swung a heavy text at his shoulder, intending to knock him into the middle of the main walkway between the aisles of books instead. But as her arm had swung down through the air a sharp stabbing pain pierced her stomach. She had gasped in shock as the twinge of pain expanded into a full-blown throbbing and Hermione had dropped the book only inches from contact with Malfoy's body. Instead, she had staggered backwards, barely able to hold onto the other books in her arms.

As Hermione had stumbled into the tall side of a wooden bookshelf, one eye squeezed shut against the pain and her book-filled arms pressing into her stomach as if to squash the painful throbs right out of her system, Malfoy had straightened up and stared at her. Gradually his eyes had narrowed and his face had molded itself into a sadistic smirk. He watched her slide a little way down the shelf, her knees knocking together in order to keep her half-standing. He nodded to himself, his smirk widening and turning into a cruel grin. He took two steps toward her so that he was only inches away from her face, then leaned in and hissed right in her ear:

"_That's what'll happen to you if you try and rise against those above your station in life, mudblood, doesn't feel so good, does it_?"

And he paused for a moment, seeming to savor the gulps and panting breaths as Hermione forced herself not to give-in to the pain and make a real sound and show the agony she was in. He continued:

"_Hurts, doesn't it? No less then filth like you deserve. You want to curse me, don't you? But don't even think about using a wand on me, Granger, or any other pureblood; you won't like the result_."

And with that he had stepped back again and started to walk away. After a few steps he paused and turned back around. Then he sauntered back up to where Hermione was slowly standing up straight again and rammed savagely into her trembling arms with his shoulder. Her books spilled out of her arms instantly and skidded all over the stone floor.

"_Ooops_," he muttered in a voice full of spite and, with a condescending grin, he strode quickly down the aisle and out the tall wooden library doors, soon lost to the flow of students beyond.

Hermione had leaned against the shelf for another five minutes after Malfoy's departure taking calming breaths. Slowly she eased herself down into a sitting position and leaned against the shelf base for another few minutes as the sharp pains in her stomach subsided. What the hell was going on here? Every time she tried to retaliate to something Malfoy had done to her or her friends, or even other students that she didn't know, something like this happened. She carefully maneuvered herself forward onto her knees and began to gather her books back into a pile. Then, in the middle of lifting the last book to place it on the top of her stack another memory had come to her:

_Colin Creevey had been in the middle of trying hex Crabb one afternoon during a free period after lunch when Crabb had been throwing his weight around and messing with a bunch of second years. But in the middle of the first word of his spell Colin had doubled-over and dropped his wand. Crabb had guffawed heartily and then stumped off back into the castle unharmed._

Another one…

_Justin Finch-Fletchley had had a run-in with Goyle in the bathroom which had ended with Justin in the hospital wing with a headache so severe Madam Pomfrey had made him stay three days until it died away. Apparently Justin had come to blows with Goyle before the headache had forced him to his knees and Goyle had retaliated thoroughly before leaving him to be discovered by Filch._

And it wasn't just run-ins with Slytherins that were causing problems…

_Dean Thomas had complained of having stomach cramps shortly after a scuffle with a fellow Gryffindor Qudditch player, Ron as a matter of fact, just yesterday. In fact, if their argument had been higher then ten feet off the ground when words were exchanged Dean could've been seriously harmed—because as soon as he had called Ron several choice variations of the wrong-end of a Hippogriff, after he had accidently smacked him in the back with a miss-guided quaffle he had had just defended from his Keeper's hoops during practice, he had become so light-headed he had nearly blacked out and fallen limply off his broom. Ron only just barely managed to grab his ankle--six inches before Dean's head would've hit the ground._

Hermione had gathered the last book and gone back to her study table, body shaking and mind whirling with the confusing memories.

Now, it was a Friday evening in December and Hermione was sitting in the Head Lounge and mulling over the events of the past few weeks. She had been sure that the pain she and her friends were experiencing was due to some curse Malfoy and his cronies had concocted. But when she had heard about Dean's reaction during his little argument with Ron she felt confused. This threw off her theory. She needed to talk her thoughts out with someone. She needed to talk to Harry. He was good at helping her talk things out. Even if he couldn't offer advice he was always a good listener. But Harry had been giving her space since the night in the library; he was avoiding her again, this time at her own request. But she could see the looks he gave her whenever they caught each other's eyes: confused, emotions raging. But he sat with Neville, Dean, Ginny, or Ron at lunch, and only talked-shop in classes. She often saw Ron in deep discussion with Harry but they always broke apart when she came close. Now, however, she would try and seek him out.

Hermione got to her feet, straightened her white blouse, smoothed her beige cords and checked her hair in a mirror by the door. Then she pushed aside a hanging tapestry, climbed through the opening concealed behind it and walked down a short curving hallway lit periodically by magically burning torches. At the hall's end was the back of a portrait. On the opposite side of the frame was the painting of a jolly wizard sitting in a fat armchair. The painting was hung on the wall in a bend around the back of the staircase that lead up to the boys dormitories for ordinary students of Gryffindor Tower. She took a look around the Gryffindor common room and spotted Harry sitting in an armchair by the fire. There was a scattering of other students around the room, mostly fifth and sixth years as it was nearing eleven o'clock. Hermione took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and marched across the room. When she reached Harry's chair she stood to the side for a few moments, waiting for him to notice her.

Harry had heard footsteps come up behind him and looked up to see Hermione standing just beyond him, watching him with wide eyes and a nervous expression in the dim flickering light of the fire. He waited for her to speak, not wanting to push her since he had been on eggshells around her for weeks, hoping that she would truly forgive his blunder and assumption about her and Malfoy so many weeks ago.

"Harry?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah?" he said quietly, looking at her closely, watching her face. She looked tense and nervous.

"I need to talk to you about something. Would you mind coming to my common room for a little while?"

Harry jumped to his feet surprised, but pleased, that she had sought him out at last. "Sure. Whatever you want. Right now?"

Hermione took a step back as Harry leaped out of the armchair. She smiled at him, feeling better at his eagerness to come spend time with her. His reaction made her feel slightly better and her heart warmed to him a tiny bit.

"Yes, now. I mean, if you're not busy or something…" She trailed off feeling a little foolish. Harry had been sitting draped across the armchair with not even a book on his lap. The only thing he had been busy at was falling asleep. She blushed.

"Free as a bird." Harry grinned. "So does this mean you're finally going to show me where your top-secret common room is?" Harry didn't know it, but the portrait which hid the Head's Common Room was bewitched with a secrecy charm set only to recognize and admit only Neville and Hermione and any guests which were with them. Any other student would only see a blank wall if they headed to the back of the staircase, which wasn't very often at any rate, but the extra privacy was provided anyway.

"Yup." Hermione grinned; feeling more relaxed as the seconds ticked past. "Follow me."

Harry walked beside Hermione across the common room and around the curve of the staircase.

"Intellect over Popularity," Hermione recited when they reached the portrait.

"Quite right, young lady," the jolly old wizard sitting in oversized winged armchair behind a large desk said approvingly, as he swung forward to admit the pair.

****

Across the castle Ron was starting up the stairs in the entrance hall on his way back to Gryffindor Tower. As he reached the top of them he thought he heard something behind him and turned around. Nothing. He shrugged and continued on down the hallway. Rounding a corner and pausing briefly to readjust his book-bag on his shoulder, he heard it again: the sound of footsteps. He froze instantly and slowly peeked back over his shoulder. Again there was no one there.

"Harry, if you're under that cloak with some new gadget that Fred and George want tested on me, so help me…." he threatened darkly, peering around the time hallway but only seeing flickering torches in their wall brackets and a silent suit of armor poking out of a niche in the stone wall. He glared at the armor for good measure, but hearing and seeing nothing he turned around and continued walking again, listening carefully. The footsteps started up again.

He stopped walking. They stopped.

He started. They started.

The steps were soft, light, someone trying not to be heard. All at once Ron spun around, hoping to catch whomever it was that was following him in the act! He was just in time to catch a flash of gold as a figure darted out of sight behind the suit of armor in the next wall niche.

"Who's there?" Ron demanded, planting his feet firmly and staring intently at the spot where the gold, he was almost sure it had been hair, had disappeared. Who had blond hair that would have cause to stalk him in dark, empty, hallways late at night? Malfoy of course! He began to advance on the armor, slowly drawing his wand and wracking his mind for a good curse.

"You have three seconds to show yourself, and tell me what the bloody hell you're doing following me, before I curse the pureblood right out of your self-righteous, no-good as—ARGH!" Ron leaped back from the armor in total shock. The blond figure standing behind it was certainly not the one he had been expecting.

"Well that certainly isn't a very nice thing to say!" the slim, blond girl said in a breathy voice, looking mildly annoyed with him.

"Luna?!" Ron gaped at her. "Why are you following me? Did you get lost or something?" he added as an afterthought, completely thrown as to why the loopy Ravenclaw would be tailing him.

"No," Luna said placidly, her wide pale eyes staring at him intently. Ron shifted, uncomfortable with her direct unflinching gaze.

"Did you want something?" he tried again, shifting his backpack to the opposite shoulder for something to do other then looking at her face. She was quite for a long minute and he finally looked up at her again. Was she—no, she couldn't be—was Luna _blushing_?

She seemed to be steeling herself to say something, her pale cheeks blooming a soft rose as she took a deep breath and spoke softer, and in an almost normal tone (to Ron's ears), "I only wanted to give you this. But I didn't know where your common room was." That was all. No weird stories. No long, strange sentences full of fancy words and trains of thought that made Luna often sound as if she had drifted into her current conversation by accident, on the wings of a daydream.

Ron stared at her. In Luna's out-stretched palms was a small gold box tied with a lavender bow.

"Merry Christmas, Ron," she said shyly, as he stretched out a long arm and plucked the tiny box out of her cupped hands.

"Er, thanks Luna," Ron said slowly, utterly bewildered. As soon as he had taken the box Luna had turned on heel and all but ran down the hallway.

Ron stared at the box for a few long moments, not sure if he should open it there or wait until he got back to his room in the Tower. He decided to open it in the hallway, just in case it was something strange, as he guessed presents from Luna were likely to be, and he didn't want to have to explain about the gift to Harry or anyone else if it were. Slowly he tugged the ribbon until the bow unwound itself and then lifted the lid and looked cautiously inside the small box. Inside was a tiny red Quaffle pin. He picked it up between two fingers and squinted at it. As he had pulled the pin off its bed of cotton a small piece of paper had fluttered loose. Ron stooped and quickly picked it up off the floor. Unfolding the parchment he read, in small, neat script:

_Dear Ron,_

_I think that you're a great Keeper and a brave wizard. It was amazing how you and the others fought at the Department of Mysteries! I know that you think I'm strange, loony-Lovegood and all that, but I don't care. I don't even care that you don't believe in all the creatures that my Father and I have seen, that's OK, everyone's different. I don't mind that you spent a day puking up slugs in your second year, that doesn't make you any less of a person either._

_I just wanted to leave you this present and tell you how I felt since this is our final Christmas at Hogwarts and I likely won't have another chance. We all know that the final battle is coming soon and I'm not so silly as to think that you and Hermione Granger won't go with Harry when he goes to fight You-Know-Who. You might not come back. That makes me sad, but I'm trying not to think about it too much. I saw the pin in the broom shop last Hogsmeade weekend and thought of you. It reminded me of how hard you tried to get on the team and what you had to fight through after you made it on. You deserve your position._

_You don't have to say anything to me about this letter. If you don't feel the same way I'd much prefer if you acted like you never got it. I'll be able to tell and won't say anything either. I know that it's very likely that you won't return my feelings but that's ok. I'm not brave enough to tell you to your face, maybe that's why I'm not in Gryffindor, but I really like you. A lot._

_Happy Christmas._

_Love, Luna_

Ron stared at the letter for a long time, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. A love-letter from _Luna_?!


End file.
